The Patriarch of the Tewahedo Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, Abuna Matthias, received a delegation from the Community of Sant'Egidio, currently in Addis Ababa to organize the travel of refugees with the Humanitarian Corridors. The Patriarch asked for information on the coronavirus epidemic and expressed his closeness in prayer and sympathy for Italy.
Pope Francis' care and attention for the Church in Ethiopia was one of the spoken themes. The Patriarch recalled when, last October, demonstrations and riots in the country had caused serious incidents during which churches, priests and monks had been attacked with violence. Pope Francis refer to it at the Angelus and wrote a long, profound, and moving letter to the Patriarch.
The Patriarch also expressed his gratitude for the visit to Rome and to the Community of Sant'Egidio, in February 2017. At the end of the visit, the delegation presented to the Patriarch the invitation to participate in the Prayer for Peace, which will take place in Rome next October.
