Ethiopian Catholic Church
Ethiopian Catholic Church: a Church sui iuris of the Alexandrian tradition. Where it is found, its liturgical books, its history, and sources, with free texts.
- Tradition (CCEO can. 28 §2)
- Alexandrian tradition (Source: CCEO, vatican.va ↗)
- Catechism (CCC 1203)
- Alexandrian or Coptic (Source: Catechism, vatican.va ↗)
- Canonical status
- Metropolitan Church sui iuris (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Head
- Archbishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, M.C.C.J. (Metropolitan) (as listed by GCatholic on 23 October 2026) (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Historical centre
- Addis Ababa (present metropolitan see; the historical centres of Ethiopian Christianity, such as Aksum, lie elsewhere) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Present see
- Addis Ababa (metropolitan see) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Liturgical books
- Unverified Coptic/Ge'ez books (Anaphoras of St Basil, St Gregory, St Cyril/Mark in Coptic use; Ethiopic anaphoras in Ge'ez use); current editions not verified. (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia ↗)
- Own jurisdiction in
- Ethiopia (1) (Source: GCatholic ↗) As listed on 23 October 2026.
- Approximate historical heartland
- central and northern Ethiopia (Ethiopia) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- Note
- The Ge'ez liturgy is shared with the Eritrean Catholic Church. In southern Ethiopia most Catholic jurisdictions are Latin (CNEWA). (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Where it has its own jurisdiction
Showing the Ethiopian Catholic Church, present jurisdictions: 1 country.
Countries where the Ethiopian Catholic Church has its own jurisdiction: 1 country.
Countries with the Church's own jurisdiction; faithful elsewhere are served by local ordinaries.
Countries shaded (1)
- Ethiopia
Source: GCatholic ↗, as listed on 23 October 2026.
Borders are illustrative (Natural Earth, de facto lines) and imply no position. Shading shows where a Church has its own jurisdiction, not where all its faithful live. Made with Natural Earth ↗ (public domain). Sources and method.
History
- 1622 to 1636 Short-lived union under Emperor Susenyos; dissolved 1636 (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 1839 Lazarist and Capuchin missionary activity resumes (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 1961 Metropolitan see of Addis Ababa established (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 19 January 2015 Eritrea detached as separate metropolitan Church; Bahir Dar-Dessie eparchy erected (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Dates are given as ranges or centuries where the sources give no single date.
Texts and resources
Every resource is an outside link; nothing here is hosted by Bibliotheca Catholica. What the badges mean.
- Liturgies Eastern and Western, vol. I (Brightman, 1896): Egyptian rites ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
1896 - The Liturgies of SS. Mark, James, Clement, Chrysostom and Basil (Neale and Littledale, 1870s) ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
19th-century publication - Catholic Encyclopedia: 'Church of Alexandria' ↗ Rights: Public domain (US)
1907 to 1912
Main sources: CNEWA ↗. Checked 2026-10-26. Sources and method.