Eritrean Catholic Church: Difference between revisions

| leader/moderatorleader_title1 = [[Pope]]

| leader_titleleader_name1 = [[Pope Francis|Francis]]

| leader leader_name2 = [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] [[Menghesteab Tesfamariam]],<br />Archbishop of Asmara

| founded_date = 19 January 20151868

| founded_place = Eritrea

| members = 167,722 (2017) <ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat17.pdf |title=The Eastern Catholic Churches 2017] |access-date=2019-06-19 |archive-date=2018-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024215818/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat17.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The '''Eritrean Catholic Church''' ({{efn|''{{lang-la|Ecclesia Catholica Erythraea}}''; {{lang-ti|ኤርትራዊት ቤተ ክርስቲያን|translit=Chiesa Eritrea}}) isor a"The [[MetropolisAsmara (religious jurisdiction)|metropolitan]] ''sui iuris'' Church".}} or '''Eritrean Eastern Catholic Church''' is a ''[[sui iuris]]'' (autonomous) [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] church based in [[Eritrea]]. As a [[Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites|particular church]] headquarteredof inthe [[AsmaraCatholic Church]], it is in [[Eritreafull communion]] with the [[Holy See]]. It was established in 2015 by separation ofwhen its territory fromwas thatseparated offrom the [[Ethiopian Catholic Church]]. andThe thechurch settingis uporganized inunder thata territory[[metropolitan bishop]] who exercises oversight of a newnumber of ''[[suisuffragan iurisdiocese]]'' metropolitan Eastern Catholic Churchs.<ref>"a Metropolitana sui iuris archieparchia Neanthopolitana seiungimus eparchias Asmarensem, Barentuanam, Kerensem et Segheneitensem. Ex ita facto territorio, quod Erythraeam complectitur, novam Metropolitanam Ecclesiam sui iuris Asmarensem appellandam constituimus" ([https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/la/apost_constitutions/documents/papa-francesco_costituzione-ap_20150119_ecclesia-metropolitana-asmarensis.html Apostolic constitution ''Multum fructum'' of 11 January 2015)]</ref> ItIn followsits theliturgical Ge'ezservices, formit ofuses the [[Alexandrian Rite|Alexandrian]] in the [[liturgicalGe'ez ritelanguage]]. Its strictly-speaking official name is "The Asmara metropolitan ''sui iuris'' Church".<ref name="Multum fructum" />

Like the other Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eritrean Catholic Church is in [[full communion]] with the [[Holy See]]. It holds to the Christological definition taught at the [[Council of Chalcedon]] and accepts the universal jurisdiction of the [[Pope]]. These pointsreligious beliefs distinguish it from the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]], which is an [[Oriental Orthodox]] church comprising most of the [[Christianity|Christians]] in the country. Like the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Eritrean Catholic Church follows the [[Ethiopic Rite|Ethiopic]] [[liturgical rite]] in the [[Ge'ez language]], a [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] language which fell out of common use several centuries ago. This rite is based on the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Church]] liturgy.

In 1839 [[Giustino de Jacobis]], an Italian [[Congregation of the Mission|Vincentian]] priest, arrived as a missionary in the area that is now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. He preferred to employ the local [[Ritual family|liturgical rite]] in the [[Ge'ez language]] rather than the [[Roman riteRite]] in [[Latin]]. He attracted a considerable number of local priests and laity to enter into [[full communion]] with the [[Catholic Church]]. He died in 1860 at [[Battle of Halai|Halai]], near Hebo, in what is now the [[Debub Region|Southern Administrative Region]] of Eritrea.<ref>[http://www.eparchyofkeren.com/eparchy/Eparchy%20History.pdf Brief History of the Catholic Eparchy of Keren, Eritrea]</ref>

In 1869, Italy began to occupy Eritrea and in 1890 declared it a [[Italian Eritrea|colony]] of the [[Kingdom of Italy]], fostering immigration of Italians. In view of the changed situation, the [[Holy See]] set up on 19 September 1894 the [[Apostolic Prefecture of Eritrea]], entrusted to Italian [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|Capuchins]], thus removing Eritrea from the territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Abyssinia of the Vincentians, who were predominantly [[French people|French]].<ref>Decree ''[https://archive.org/stream/lecanonisteconte18pari#page/56/mode/2up ''Ut saluti animarum'', in ''Le canoniste contemporain'', year 18, Paris 1895, pp. 56-57]</ref><ref name=AP741>''[[Annuario Pontificio]]'' 1964, p. 741</ref> In the following year, the governor of the colony expelled the remaining Vincentian priests on the unfounded suspicion of having encouraged armed resistance.<ref>Dan Connell, Tom Killion, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SYsgpIc3mrsC&pg=PA140 ''Historical Dictionary of Eritrea''], (Scarecrow Press 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-81087505-0}}), pp. 140–142.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://scans.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/7/22/lafranceetlitali0102bill/lafranceetlitali0102bill.pdf |title=A. Billot, ''La France et l'Italie: Histoire des années troubles 1881–1899'' (Paris 1905), pp. 231–236 |access-date=2017-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226134136/http://scans.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/7/22/lafranceetlitali0102bill/lafranceetlitali0102bill.pdf |archive-date=2017-02-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5603529k/texteBrut ''Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission (Lazaristes) et de la Compagnie des Filles de la Charité'', 1895, pp. 247–255]</ref>

The prefecture apostolic of Eritrea was raised by the Holy See to the status of Apostolic Vicariate (headed by a [[titular bishop]]) in 1911.<ref>"GCatholicasmaralatin">[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/asma1.htm Apostolic Vicariate of Asmara], GCatholic.com</ref><ref name=AP741/> In addition, an [[Ethiopic Rite]] [[Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful|Ordinariate]] of Eritrea was established on 4 July 1930, removing those Catholics from the jurisdiction of the then much larger [[Latin Church]] Vicariate.<ref name="GCatholicchange">[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/events/ER.htm Changes in Ecclesiastical Circumscriptions in Eritrea], GCatholic.com</ref><ref name=AP40>''Annuario Pontificio'' 1964, p.40</ref> Father Kidanè-Maryam Cassà, who since 1926 had been their pro-vicar within the Vicariate, was appointed their ordinary and on 3 August 1930 was ordained titular bishop of [[Thibaris]] in the chapel of the [[Roman Colleges#Collegio Etiopico|Pontifical Ethiopian College]] in [[Vatican City]]. At that time they numbered less than 3% of the population of Eritrea.<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://dspace-roma3.caspur.it/bitstream/2307/4213/1/Tesi%20di%20dottorato%20di%20Antonio%20Cataldi%202013.pdf |title=Antonio Cataldi, ''I missionari cattolici italiani nell'Etiopia occupata'' (2013), p. 125] |access-date=2017-02-25 |archive-date=2018-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164551/http://dspace-roma3.caspur.it/bitstream/2307/4213/1/Tesi |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique, Volume 100, Issues 3-4|date=2005|publisher=Université Catholique de Louvain|page=1010|url=https://wwwbooks.google.com/books?id=27UlAQAAIAAJ|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>

The greater importance at that time of the Latin Vicariate is reflected in the impressive church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary that was completed in 1923 as the seat of the Apostolic Vicariate. Even after the demise of the Vicariate in 1995, it is still called "the cathedral".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.missioni.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/mc_02_2011_ok_rid_0.pdf |title="Un antico tempio cattolico della capitale: La Cattedrale di Asmara, Chiesa della Beata Vergine del Rosario", pp. 28-29 of a 2011 issue of ''Missionari Cappuccini'' commemorating the centenary of the foundation of the Apostolic Vicariate of Eritrea |access-date=2016-12-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220170721/http://www.missioni.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/mc_02_2011_ok_rid_0.pdf |archive-date=2016-12-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/939-the-asmara-cathedral-an-architectural-wander|title=The Asmara Cathedral: An Architectural Wonder -|first=shabait|last=Administrator|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-date=13 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413035213/http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/939-the-asmara-cathedral-an-architectural-wander|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Catholic church in Akrur.jpeg|thumb|Church (formerly [[Latin-rite Church]]) in Akrur in the eparchy of Segheneyti]]

On 19 January 2015, under [[Pope Francis]], erected the Eritrean Catholic Church was erected as an autonomous ''[[sui iuris]]'' metropolitan church with Asmara as its metropolitan see and the other three Eritrean eparchies as suffragans, separating it from the Ethiopian Catholic Church, whose metropolitan see was thus left with only three suffragans.<ref name="Multum fructum">[https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/la/apost_constitutions/documents/papa-francesco_costituzione-ap_20150119_ecclesia-metropolitana-asmarensis.html [[Apostolic Constitution]] ([[papal bull]]) ''Multum fructum'' of 19 January 2015]</ref>

[[File:Eritrea - Eparchia di Asmara.png|thumb|left|200px|Eritrean Catholic [[Eparchy|eparchies]] from 1995 to 2012. In red Asmara, from which Segheneyti was taken in 2012. In north Keren; in west Barentu.]]

*The [[Eritrean Catholic Eparchy of Keren|Eparchy of Keren]] with the highest percentage of the local population (nearly 12%) and with faithful drawn largely from the [[Bilen people]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/kere1.htm|title=Eparchy of Keren, Eritrea (Eritrean Rite)|access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>

Since 2004, the State Department of the United States of America has repeatedly listed the State of Eritrea as a country of particular concern with regard to religious freedom. However, it indicates that the Catholic Church is granted some favours, limited in number and extent, not granted to other religious communities: "permission to host some visiting clergy; to receive funding from the [[Holy See]]; to travel for religious purposes and training in small numbers; and to receive exemptions from national service for seminary students and nuns".<ref>[http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%202016%20Annual%20Report.pdf United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2016 Annual Report, p. 42]</ref> National service is demanded of most Eritreans, men and women, between the ages of 18 and 40, or in practice 50 or more, and is often of indefinite length.<ref>{{cite webnews|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eritrea-politics-insight-idUSKCN0VY0M5|title=Eritrea won't shorten national service despite migration fears|date=25 February 2017|access-date=10 January 2017|vianewspaper=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite webnews|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2014/03/national-service-eritrea|title=Miserable and useless|date=10 March 2014|access-date=10 January 2017|vianewspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/5084f3982.html|title=Refworld - Eritrea: Military service, including age of recruitment, length of service, grounds for exemption, penalties for desertion from and evasion of military service, and availability of alternative service|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|last=Refugees|access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>

The Catholic bishops issued on 25 May 2014, the 23rd anniversary of the independence of the state, a pastoral letter that some saw as critical of the Government. An English translation of the document, the original of which is in the [[Tigrinya language]], extends to 17 pages.<ref>[http://www.eparchyofkeren.com/topics/WHERE%20IS%20YOUR%20BROTHER.pdf Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops of Eritrea "Where Is Your Brother"]</ref> The bishops spoke of the emigration of the many young Eritreans who risk their lives in the hope of emigrating to other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/10/eritrean_bishops_issue_pastoral_letter_decrying_emigration/1101579|title=Eritrean Bishops issue pastoral letter decrying emigration|access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> They repeated what they had written in 2001: "[N]oNo-one leaves a land of milk and honey to seek another country offering the same opportunities. If one's homeland is a place of peace, jobs and freedom of expression there is no reason to leave it to suffer hardship, loneliness and exile in an effort to look for opportunity elsewhere."<ref>English translation, 19</ref> They spoke also of "the delusion engendered as result of the non-achievement of the ends proposed, the uselessness of one’s own aspirations, looking to distant lands as the only alternative for self-fulfilment, are bringing a growing number of people to frustration and desperation. They find themselves looking at a horizon that grows always darker and heavier. Alongside this, the breakup of the family unit inside the country – through military service unlimited in terms of time and monetary reward and through the imprisonment of many young people in actual prison or in punishment camps – is exposing to misery not only elderly parents with no visible means of support, but also entire families and it is having serious consequences at the economic level as well as at the psychological and mental levels."<ref>English translation, 20</ref>

The Eritrean agency ''TesfaNews'' questioned the bishops' sincerity and interpreted information provided by [[WikiLeaks]]<ref>{{citeUnited web|url=https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06ASMARA1058_a.html|title=GseStates Tightensdiplomatic Controlcables on Official Religious Institutionsleak|date=21leaked Decemberdiplomatic 2016|access-date=10 January 2017|via=WikiLeaks PlusD}}</ref>cables]] as indicatingevidence that the Archeparch of Asmara "is a certified, anti-government and National service religious leader residing at the helm the capital Asmara".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tesfanews.net/four-eritrean-catholic-bishops-issue-pastoral-letter-decrying-emigration/|title=Four Eritrean Catholic Bishops Issue Pastoral Letter Decrying Emigration|date=10 June 2014|access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>

== Notes ==

*[http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/939-the-asmara-cathedral-an-architectural-wander Asmara Cathedral] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413035213/http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/939-the-asmara-cathedral-an-architectural-wander |date=2020-04-13 }}

*[http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat14.pdf Eastern Catholic Churchs: Statistics 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822015856/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat14.pdf |date=2014-08-22 }}