Abuna

Abuna ( in German also Abune ) is the European reproduction of an important Ethiopian and Eritrean religious title (actually Abun, in compilation with the following names Abunä ).

It means in the Ge'ez language, mutatis mutandis, our Father, and the salutation reverend monk personalities in feature of the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church. The Aramaic word ܐ ܒ ܘ ܢ ܐ Abuna, word referring to " our Father ", is the Church and other Syrian churches used in the Syrian Orthodox to refer to a priest or a bishop.

Until the 20th century the head of the Ethiopian Church has always been a Coptic monk from Egypt. He held the rank of Metropolitan Patriarchate of Alexandria of the Copts. This can be equated with the Archbishop of the Catholic Church. The actual name for the head of the Ethiopian Church is actually Liqe Papasat (about head of the bishops ). Traditionally, the " Abun " by the patriarch ( " Pope " ) of Alexandria ( Egypt), the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, appointed and ordained. Therefore, it could lead to delays in the appointment of a successor. Until the mid- 20th century, the Metropolitan ( " Abun " ) of Ethiopia was never Ethiopian origin. Because of the ignorance of the languages ​​he had only a limited influence on the Ethiopian religion and politics.

The main tasks of the " Abun " was the ordination of deacons and priests, and the consecration of altarpieces ( Tabot ). Visitors to Ethiopia at this time, such as Francisco Álvares in the 16th century and Remedius Prutky in the 18th century, expressed its surprise at the nature of ordination, the ( supposedly) limited to simple sign of the cross and a short prayer.

After many centuries, the Coptic and Ethiopian Church reached an agreement that led to the rise of the Ethiopian Church to an autocephalous Patriarchate. Five bishops were immediately consecrated and empowered to elect the new patriarch of their church and to become the successor to Abuna Qerellos IV, the last Metropolitan of Coptic origin, by the Patriarch of Alexandria. The new Patriarch was given the power to consecrate new bishops. The first Ethiopian Christian who was Patriarch, Abuna was Basil, who was ordained on January 4, 1951.

Sometimes the title Abun was also used for other high dignitaries of the Church (mostly in the province of Tigre ). Sometimes the title for European princes and European clergy was applied.