Ethiopia, India Orthodox Churches Spiritually Very Near, Says Patriarch Baselios Marthoma Mathews III

Addis Ababa, September 26, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia and India are geographically distant, but our churches are spiritually very near, with their Orthodox churches united by a common apostolic faith, Patriarch of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, said.

Speaking at the Demera celebration in Addis Ababa today, the Patriarch said the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church belong to the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches and share a spiritual heritage shaped by the Eucharist, fasting, prayer, asceticism, the communion of saints and the cross of Christ.

 

“Our nations are geographically distant, but our churches are spiritually very near,” he noted, emphasizing that the bond between the two churches is rooted not primarily in diplomacy or institutional relations, but in their common apostolic faith.

His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III said the relationship between the two churches has developed through decades of visits, theological cooperation and exchanges, recalling the 1965 gathering of heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches in Addis Ababa as a significant milestone in the history of their fellowship.

He also highlighted the contributions of theologians and clergy from the Malankara Orthodox Church to theological education and fellowship in Ethiopia, as well as reciprocal visits by the heads of the two churches.

The Patriarch further recalled that a bilateral agreement between the two churches was formally signed during the 2017 Meskel celebration in Ethiopia, describing the occasion as a significant expression of their historic friendship and shared apostolic inheritance.

 

According to him, Meskel’s inscription on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity appropriately recognizes its role in bringing together people across communities and generations while fostering reconciliation, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

For Orthodox Christians, the Patriarch said, Meskel represents more than cultural heritage, describing it as “living faith” and worship centered on Christ.

This celebration demonstrates the unifying and reconciling message of the cross, which brings people together and directs them toward God and one another, he added.

“The cross gathers us. The cross reconciles us.”

His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III concluded: “For us Orthodox Christians, Meskel is still more. Before it is cultural heritage, it is living faith. Before it is spectacle, it is worship. Before it belongs to history, it belongs to Christ.”