wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Official visit to Ethiopia

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 21/09/2005

WCC OFFICIAL VISIT TO ETHIOPIA

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the largest and oldest church on
the African continent, is hosting an international ecumenical delegation
headed by World Council of Churches' (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr
Samuel Kobia, 24-30 September 2005.

"Ethiopians have been part of the church from the very beginning, and
Ethiopia is a country with a profound spiritual ancestry," underlines
Kobia. "The ancient church and the culture of Ethiopia continue to offer a
source of identity and dignity for many Africans and to humankind.
Ethiopia is going through challenging and trying times, and the WCC
desires to be with the church and the people in times of difficulty as
well as joy."

The WCC delegation is invited to Ethiopia by H.H. Patriarch Abune Paulos,
head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church since 1992. With an
estimated 38 million members, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is
one of the largest national churches in the world, and was a founding
member of the WCC in 1948.

Along with meetings with Ethiopian Orthodox officials and visits to church
holy sites and several social and educational initiatives, the WCC
delegation will meet with leaders of the second WCC member church in the
country, the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, and will hold
talks with Ethiopian political leaders and representatives of regional
organizations.

The visit coincides with the traditional "meskel" religious festival
commemorating the finding of the True Cross in Jerusalem, which is one of
the landmark events in Ethiopian culture and church life.

Together with the WCC general secretary, the WCC delegation will include
six other church representatives and staff members: Dr Agnes Abuom, WCC
president from Africa, Kenya; Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Armenian Apostolic
Church (Cilicia), Lebanon; Rev. Ingrid Vad Nilsen, Norway; Mr Nicholas
Otieno, Kenya; Mr Melaku Kifle, and Rev. Dr André Karamaga, WCC staff.

All details of the programme are subject to change. A press conference
will be held in Addis Ababa on Friday 30 September.
Full details will be available from the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate.

The provisional programme of the visit will include:
Sunday 25 September: Church service and audience with H.H. Patriarch Abune
Paulos in Addis Ababa.
Monday 26 September: Meeting with leaders of the Ethiopian Evangelical
Church Mekane Yesus.
Tuesday 27 September: Visit to Ethiopian Orthodox monastery and church
social and educational projects.
Wednesday 28 September: Presentation and discussion on the ecumenical
movement with Ethiopian Orthodox leaders.
Thursday 29 September: Meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi. Meeting at the Economic Commission for Africa.
Friday 30 September: Meeting at the African Union. Press conference.

Media contact in Ethiopia: Mr Melaku Kifle, mobile: +41 79 205 8413

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.