The brutal murder of an Oromo-Orthodox man in Shashemene town by Oromia regional police has symbolized the key ideological difference between the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) and a breakaway rebel clergy in Oromia.

Gemechu Gudina was an ethnic Oromo and one of the Orthodox faithful reportedly killed by Oromia police at the St. Michael church in West Arsi zone. He and Ayele Mandefro were among those shot dead, as hundreds of fellow Orthodox Church worshippers protested against the illegal synod established by politically-motivated 3 Oromo archbishops promoting ethnic segregation in the church. The 3 rebelling archbishops are accused of violating church rules and promoting ethnic apartheid amongst the 50 million plus strong Ethiopian Orthodox faithful. 

Ethiopians on social media said the Oromo man murdered while defending EOTC symbolizes the ethnic unity inside the EOTC, in contrast to the rebel clergy who have attempted to portray themselves as leaders of one ethnic group.

“Gemechu is a martyr who said no to apartheid inside the Ethiopian church and he died for his belief that we are one church, one people created equal by God” said Meaza Melaku, a resident of Adama. 

The Oromia town of Adama has also been tense, as the majority of its residents are Orthodox who reject the decision by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to legitimize the 3 rogue archbishops challenging the Holy Synod. 

Ethiopian Premier League football games throughout Oromia and parts of southern Ethiopia have been suspended, due to government fear of protests supporting the EOTC. 

The Orthodox Patriarch Abune Mathias has declared the new breakaway synod as “illegal” and excommunicated the rebel bishops involved.

Observers say the rebel clergy have political agenda rather than the proclaimed linguistic agenda, because many Ethiopian Orthodox churches near Oromo majority districts of Adama as well as other towns in Oromia already provide services in Afan Oromo (language). According to Priest Abba Woldeyesus Seifu, the EOTC has spent more budget on spreading the gospel and promoting education in local languages in many zones of Oromia where there are less churches planted, compared to in Gondar where thousands more churches exist. During a new interview with ESAT media, Abba Woldeysus Seifu (who is of Oromo descent) revealed that the leader of the rebelling clergy Abune Sawiros has political agenda as he is not able to recite & pray in Oromo language himself.

The rebel clergy used ethnic grievances to justify forming an independent Oromia synod. But defenders of the Ethiopian Orthodox say their church has made great linguistic progress in recent decades. Historically, the EOTC had Ge-ez roots as a liturgical language that is unique even from the national Amharic language; similar to religions like Islam which have linguistic roots different from its modern non-Arab adherents in Europe, Asia and Africa.

However since the 1980s, after the overthrow of the Emperor, regional Ethiopian Orthodox Churches and various local institutions had gradually promoted linguistic and cultural diversity nationwide.  

Abune Henok, the Archbishop of Addis Ababa Diocese joined in condemning the political agenda of the rebel clergy and described the government crackdown on anti-apartheid Orthodox Christians in Oromia as “persecution.” Church-affiliated Tewahedo Media Center (TMC) said one of the Oromo bishops appointed by the rebel clergy have apologized and EOTC has demanded Abiy’s government to enforce the rule of law and stop the illegal takeover of church property in Oromia by the rogue pro-apartheid clergy. 

Several anti-apartheid Orthodox clergy in Jimma town of Oromia and the southern Konta region have been kidnapped by government security forces; which had led to widespread accusations that Abiy’s government is trying to legitimize the illegal clergy group.

Among the high-profile figures who condemned the rebel clergy include the head of the Ethiopian National Football, Wubetu Abate and the country’s influential pop artist Teddy Afro. There are unconfirmed reports that top level federal officials close to the Prime Minister have resigned in protest as well.

Ethiopia has the second largest Orthodox Christian population in the world after Russia.