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Saint Frumentius (Bishop Abuna Salama)

The First Catholicos of Ethiopia

 

                                                                                                            

 

 St. Frumentius and his brother were once traveling to Ethiopia. While they were on the ship, a group of Africans attacked the boat and took them as slaves and were sold to the Queen. While St. Frumentius was working in the palace, he started to spread the Christian faith around to all the slaves. It reached the point that the Queen herself heard of this new religion. She converted to Christianity and St. Frumentius traveled to Egypt and requested to meet Pope Athanasius the Apostolic. At that time, Pope Athanasius had finished writing the first ever copy of the Liturgy of St. Mark the Evangelist and Martyr, the First Prelate of Egypt. St. Frumentius entered and explained to Pope Athanasius what happened to them in Ethiopia. He requested that the Pope ordain a shepherded for them. Pope Athanasius was pleased and told him that he would ordain a Bishop for the land of Ethiopia. Then the Pope answered and said who will be a better candidate then you. I will ordain you with the name of Bishop Abuna Salama Catholicos for Ethiopia . Pope Athanasius sent him with the copy of the Liturgy of St. Mark that he wrote. Bishop Abuna Salama went back to Ethiopia and served his people with the fear of God. Ever since this time, the Coptic Orthodox Church has been a mother to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church until the year 1959 when both churches reached the agreement of allowing The Ethiopian Orthodox Church archbishop to take the title of Patriarch Catholicos and be enthroned on the See of St. Takla Haymanot. During the consecration of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, 5 members of the Ethiopian Holy Synod attended and shared with us in the ceremony. The same also for the consecration of the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch, 5 members of the Coptic Holy Synod shared with them in their prayers.