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Abune Paulos

His Holiness Abune
Paulos
Abuna and Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
AbunaPaulos.jpg
Abune Paulos at the Timqat Celebrations January 2005
Church Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Installed 1992
Term ended 2012
Predecessor Merkorios
Successor Mathias
Personal details
Birth name Gebremedhin Woldeyohannes
Born (1935-11-03)3 November 1935
Adwa, Tigray, Ethiopia
Died 16 August 2012(2012-08-16) (aged 76)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Nationality Ethiopian
Alma mater Theological College of the Holy Trinity
Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary

Abune Paulos (3 November 1935 – 16 August 2012) was Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (1992–2012). His full title was "His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Fifth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Ichege of the See of St. Tekle Haymanot, Archbishop of Axum and one of the seven serving Presidents of the World Council of Churches."

Patriarch Abune Paulos was born in Adwa in Tigray Province; his birth name was Gebre Medhin Wolde Yohannes. His family was long associated with the Abba Garima Monastery near the town, and he entered the monastery as a young boy as a deacon trainee, eventually taking monastic orders and being ordained a priest. Then known as Abba Gebre Medhin, he continued his education at the Theological College of the Holy Trinity in Addis Ababa under the patronage of Patriarch Abune Tewophilos. He was sent to study at the St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States, and afterwards joined the doctoral program at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

In 1974, his education was interrupted by a summons from Patriarch Abune Tewophilos, and returned to Addis Ababa shortly after the revolution that toppled Emperor Haile Selassie. He was anointed a bishop along with four others, assuming the name and style of Abune Paulos, and given responsibility for ecumenical affairs by the Patriarch. But because the Patriarch had named these new bishops without the permission of the new Derg communist junta, all five men were arrested, and the Patriarch was eventually executed. Abune Paulos and his fellow bishops were imprisoned until 1983. Abune Paulos returned to Princeton in 1984 to complete his doctoral degree there, and began his life as an exile. He was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by Patriarch Abune Takla Haymanot in 1986 while in exile.


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