Semune Himamat: Last Fasting Holy Week

Addis Ababa April 23 The Ethiopian Christians are almost concluding the fasting season with prayers and benedictions, ENA spoke to one of the religious leaders in the country regarding the last week of the fasting season.

According to Secretary General of Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, Priest Tagay Taddele said the last fasting week in Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church is “Semune ‘Himamat’, meaning suffering or pain week, starts on late Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday, commonly known in Ethiopia as ‘Hosanna’, is a very special day in the Orthodox Church.

It venerates Jesus’s march into Jerusalem on a donkey with Palm twigs laid before him.  It is marked with palms worn by many worshipers on hands or head, procession and special services.

On Palm Sunday, followers in Ethiopia reminded the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem riding on Jack donkey making crosses from palm branches and take them to their homes.

Explaining the task that was made by Jesus on Monday, the Priest said that Jesus expelled the merchants and money changers from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

Merchants sold cattle and other animals in the temple while the money changers played the role to exchange the varieties of local coins into the required tribute of silver ‘shekels’, he added. So, adherents of the Orthodox join church prayers for devotion.    

Jesus Christ thought his followers and disciples about his impending crucifixion and his betrayal by one of his disciples on Tuesday, Priest Tagay said.

So, today followers of Christian Orthodox Churches remindful of Jesus’ teaching for the last time before his crucifixion by attending church service in mass to pray and bow down repetitively saying ‘Kyrie Eleison, which is "Lord have mercy" in Greek.

Everyone will execute the prayer and kneeling down of ‘Kyrie Eleison’ until Friday, of course, on Thursday and Friday more religious rituals will take place differently. During Himamat no absolution is given.