War crimes and rebel bishops: Christmas celebrations marred by bitter split in Ethiopia’s ancient church
As millions of Orthodox Christians in the country prepare to celebrate on 7 January, the legacy of a brutal conflict is tearing apart its 1,700-year-old church
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monks have worshipped at the monastery of Debre Damo since the sixth century. Perched on a mountaintop in northern Tigray, the complex must be reached via a leather rope slung down a cliff that has been scaled by generations of worshippers.
At the edges of the mountain, monks recite quiet prayers as they gaze down at the surrounding highlands, alive with songbirds. Yet even here, the schism tearing apart Ethiopia’s 1,700-year-old church has split opinion.
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