Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church
ቤተ ክርስትያን ተዋህዶ ኤርትራ Tewahədo Bet'ə K'rstian Ertra |
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Eritrean Cross (identical to the Coptic cross)
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Founder | The Apostle and Evangelist Mark in 42 AD Alexandria, Saint Frumentius in 328 AD Axum, Abune Phillipos in 1993 AD Asmara |
Independence | From Alexandria in 1998 (dubious) |
Recognition | Oriental Orthodox |
Headquarters | Asmara, Eritrea |
Territory | Eritrea |
Language | Ge'ez (liturgical), Tigrinya |
Members | 3,030,000 |
Website | eritreantewahdo |
ቤተ ክርስትያን ተዋህዶ ኤርትራ
The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. Its was recognised by Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria after Eritrea gained its independence in 1993.
Tewaḥido (Ge'ez ተዋሕዶ tewaḥido) is a Ge'ez word meaning "being made one", cognate to Arabic tawhid. According to the Orthodox Encyclopedia (1917 edition) article on the Henoticon: around 500 bishops within the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem refused to accept the "two natures" doctrine decreed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, thus separating themselves from the future Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. This separate Christian communion came to be known as Oriental Orthodoxy. Oriental Orthodox Churches, which today include the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, are referred to as "Non-Chalcedonian". These Churches themselves describe their Christology as miaphysite, but outsiders often incorrectly describe them as "monophysite".