Catholic Church in Ethiopia Enters Christmas Season with Calls for Peace, Closeness with God

He appeals to Ethiopians to pray for people celebrating their birthdays in difficult conditions. He remembers in particular Ethiopian citizens who have been said to be living in perilous situations in Myanmar, where they travel in search of employment.

“In this season when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it is important to pray for those who are celebrating birthdays in an uncomfortable way. Especially in Myanmar, our church calls us to think about the youth who have left their country for work to benefit their country,” Cardinal Souraphiel says. 

Additionally, he continues, “I would like to remind you that believers who have HIV virus in their blood taking spiritual and scientific treatment together is supported by faith. I would like to say that we should not discriminate against those who have the virus in their blood.”

According to the Ethiopian Cardinal, who started his Episcopal Ministry in Addis Ababa in January 1998, Christmas is a holiday better spent helping those in need. 

In his prayer, the Cardinal implores, “May God give peace and calmness to those who are in trouble; may God comfort those who are in diaspora far from their country and home; may God think of those in prisons; may we comfort those who are sad; encourage children who have lost their parents; may God accept the dead in his kingdom.”

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The Local Ordinary of Addis Ababa reminds the people of God in Ethiopia about the power of the child Jesus to heal wounds suffered in the past. 

He reminds the people of God in the Horn of Africa nation to surrender their worries of what the future holds, saying, “There are things that make us angry from the past. There are things to regret. Also, the coming time may scare us or warn us. The one who comforts us in these times is the one whose birthday is today.”

“The one we celebrate is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because he is the one who saves us from regrets of the past and heals our wounds. Also, the one who rescues us from worries about the future is the one who we celebrate his birthday with today,” the Cardinal says. 

“The one who saves and comforts us is the baby Jesus,” he says in his Christmas Message.

Cardinal Souraphiel goes on to caution against the temptation to rely on one’s strength, saying, “In our time, humans think they can accomplish a lot of things without God. But because of this, they are consumed by darkness and destructive ideas. They lose the meaning of life.”

The Cardinal observes the trend for people to “replace the peace they have lost” with material things, hence seeking power, respect and comfort rather than human dignity. 

According to him, Christmas is testimony enough that humans were created for true happiness and eternal life. 

“The Lord, the source of happiness, was born to give us good tidings of happiness and to destroy our loneliness. The light that dispels our darkness was born, the wisdom that dispels our ignorance was born. The Lord was born to grant us life to save us from selfishness. Emmanuel was born to remove our fears,” the Cardinal says. 

He adds, “Let us open our doors and windows so that this kind of good tidings comfort our families.”

“Let this birthday be the day we get closer to God. Let us realize that true happiness comes from God,” Cardinal Souraphiel says.

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Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.