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ABYSSINIAN CHURCH

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 96 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ABYSSINIAN See also:

CHURCH . As the See also:chronicle of Axum relates, See also:Christianity was adopted in See also:Abyssinia in the 4th See also:century. About A.D. 330 See also:Frumentius was made first' See also:bishop of See also:Ethiopia by See also:Athanasius, See also:patriarch of See also:Alexandria. Cedrenus and Nicephorus err in dating Abyssinian Christianity from Justinian, c. 542. From Frumentius to the See also:present See also:day, with one break, the See also:Metropolitan (Abuna) has always been appointed from See also:Egypt, and, oddly enough, he is always a foreigner. Little is known of church See also:history down to the See also:period of Jesuit See also:rule, which See also:broke the connexion with Egypt from about 1500 to 1633. But the Abyssinians rejected the See also:council of See also:Chalcedon, and still remain See also:monophysites. See also:Union with the Coptic Church (q.v.) continued after the Arab See also:conquest in Egypt. See also:Abu Salih records (12th century) that the patriarch used always to send letters twice a See also:year to the See also:kings of Abyssinia and See also:Nubia, till Al Hakim stopped the practice. See also:Cyril, 67th patriarch, sent See also:Severus as bishop, with orders to put down See also:polygamy and to enforce observance of canonical See also:consecration for all churches.

These examples show the See also:

close relations of the two churches in the See also:Middle Ages. But See also:early in the 16th century the church was brought under the See also:influence of a Portuguese See also:mission. In 1439, in the reign of See also:Zara Yakub, a religious discussion between an Abyssinian, Abba Giorgis, and a See also:Frank had led to the despatch of an See also:embassy from Abyssinia to the Vatican; but the initiative in the See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:missions to Abyssinia was taken, not by See also:Rome, but by See also:Portugal, as an incident in the struggle with the Mussulmans for the command of the See also:trade route to See also:India by the Red See also:Sea. In 1 507 See also:Matthew, or Matheus, an Armenian, had been sent as Abyssinian See also:envoy to Portugal to ask aid against the Mussulmans, and in 1520 an embassy under Dom Rodrigo de See also:Lima landed in Abyssinia. An interesting See also:account of this mission, which remained for several years, was written by Francisco See also:Alvarez, the See also:chaplain. Later, See also:Ignatius See also:Loyola wished to See also:essay the task of See also:conversion, but was forbidden. Instead, the See also:pope sent out Joao See also:Nunez Barreto as patriarch of the See also:East Indies, with See also:Andre de See also:Oviedo as bishop; and from See also:Goa envoys went to Abyssinia, followed by Oviedo himself, to secure the See also:king's adherence to Rome. After repeated failures some measure of success was achieved, but not till 1604 did the king make formal submission to the pope. Then the See also:people rebelled and the king was slain. Fresh Jesuit victories were followed sooner or later by fresh revolt, and Roman rule hardly triumphed when once for all it was overthrown. In 1633 the See also:Jesuits were expelled and See also:allegiance to Alexandria resumed. There are many early See also:rock-cut churches in Abyssinia, closely resembling the Coptic.

After these, two See also:

main types of See also:architecture are found—one basilican, the other native. The See also:cathedral at Axum is basilican, though the early basilicas are nearly all in ruins—e.g. that at Adulis and that of Martula Mariam in Gojam, rebuilt in the 16th century on the See also:ancient See also:foundations. These examples show the influence of those architects.who, in the 6th century, built the splendid basilicas at Sanaa and else-where in See also:Arabia. Of native churches there are two forms—one square or oblong, found in See also:Tigre; the other circular, found in See also:Amhara and See also:Shoa. In both, the See also:sanctuary is square and stands clear in the centre. An See also:outer See also:court, circular or rectangular, surrounds the See also:body of the church. The square type may be due to basilican influence, the circular is a See also:mere See also:adaptation of the native hut: in both, the arrangements are obviously based on Jewish tradition. Church and outer court are usually thatched, with wattled or mud-built walls adorned with See also:rude frescoes. The See also:altar is a See also:board on four wooden pillars having upon it a small slab (tabut) of See also:alabaster, See also:marble, or shittim See also:wood, which forms its essential See also:part. At Martula Mariam, the wooden altar overlaid with See also:gold had two slabs of solid gold, one 500, the other 800 ounces in See also:weight. The See also:ark kept at Axum is described as 2 feet high, covered with gold and gems. The See also:liturgy was celebrated on it in the king's See also:palace at See also:Christmas, See also:Epiphany, See also:Easter and Feast of the See also:Cross.

Generally the Abyssinians agree with the See also:

Copts in See also:ritual and practice. The LXX. version was translated into Geez, the See also:literary See also:language, which is used for all services, though hardly understood. See also:Saints and angels are highly revered, if not adored, but graven images are forbidden. Fasts are See also:long and rigid. See also:Confession and See also:absolution, strictly enforced, give See also:great See also:power to the priesthood. The See also:clergy must marry, but once only. See also:Pilgrimage to See also:Jerusalem is a religious See also:duty and covers many sins.

End of Article: ABYSSINIAN CHURCH

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