Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Urges Youth to Preserve Timket Festival

Addis Ababa January 20/2021(ENA) Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Daniel said the youth need to preserve Ethiopian Epiphany for generations to come.

The archbishop, who attended Timket here in Addis Ababa, said “everybody needs to visit Ethiopia to live this special tradition. This is a big tradition and we need to keep it protected like our eyes for the future. The youth should in particular keep it like their faces.”

Ethiopian Epiphany was celebrated yesterday across the country with various assortments in the presence of high government officials, religious leaders and visitors.

“We are here in Ethiopia to celebrate this big celebration of epiphany,” he said, adding that epiphany is a Greek word which means the appearance of Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

The Greek Orthodox Church, in the same way as Ethiopians, celebrates the blessing of the Jordan River and the blessing of Jesus Christ, the archbishop noted.

According to him, Ethiopian epiphany is a very historical celebration as the Ethiopian Orthodox church is a traditional church from the first centuries of Christianity.

“So we have a big respect to the Ethiopian church because it keeps the traditions of Christianity in Africa,” he elaborated.

The Ethiopian people are faithful people; they love their churches and the future of the church. This is very positive and a big opportunity to the people.

“Our church (the Greek Orthodox Church) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are sister churches. So our churches have unity in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” he further pointed out.

The archbishop attended the occasion representing the Greek Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul Constantinople, and also the Greek Orthodox Pope and the Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa, Theodore II.