18 Century

During the eighteenth century the Holy See made eight more attempts to send priests to Ethiopia . In addition to the involvement of the Jesuits there were two groups of Franciscans either belonging to the Custody of Egypt or the Custody of the Holy Land . A detailed study of each of those attempts is irrelevant, but significant initiatives will be mentioned. Once the Propagation had pronounced in 1704 on the validity of Ethiopian ordinations, ten Friars expressed their willingness to go to Ethiopia . Fr. Giuseppe de Gerusalemme, a Maronite, carried a letter from Pope Clement XI (1700 - 1721) to Emperor Iyasu I (1682 - 1706) appealing for reunion. Unfortunately that letter was obsolete following the assassination of the emperor by one of his sons in 1706. Following the death of Fr. Giuseppe at Sennar in 1709, Fr. Liberato was appointed Prefect in a further attempt to establish contact with Ethiopian Christianity. This time,

together with Frs. Michael Pius and Samuel Marzorati, he arrived at Gondar in July 1712. In a letter that Fr. Liberato wrote to the Propagation of the Faith the following year, he explained that scruples of the nature of the "wine" had prevented them

from saying Mass for nine months. It was unfortunate that he had not known of the Propagation of the Faith's decree of 1711 stating that "It is permitted (to use for Mass) liquid extracted from raisins of dried grapes provided that by reason of its colour, odour and taste it is recognized as true wine."

The Friars refrained from proselytising, but that did not prevent more than 112 people becoming their disciples. Even Emperor Justus (1711 - 1716) frequently

attended their celebration of Mass. In the face of mounting hostility the Emperor sent the Friars to Welkayit in the west of Tigray for their own safety.

Emperor Justus' successor, David III (1716 - 1721) brought the Friars back to Gondar , where they were charged with heresy. When condemned to death on

2nd March 1716 the Friars said: "We hold and confess that in Jesus Christ there are two natures and this we will confess to the last drop of our blood."

After hearing the news of the Friars' martyrdom the Propagation of the Faith, on 28th September 1717 , suppressed any further attempts to enter Ethiopia . But ten years later Pope Benedict XIII reversed that decision.

Subsequent attempts to enter Ethiopia resembled more of a military escapade than apostolic endeavours, since they included the intention of liberating Massawa from the Turks. Then, in February 1735 the Propagation of the Faith categorically stated that it would neither authorize nor take part in any such undertakings.

It was only after a decade of inertia, however, once an invitation had been received from Emperor Iyasu II (1730 - 1755) that a further attempt was made. Frs. Remedius Prutcky and Martinus Lang, both from Bohemia, together with Fr. Antonio da Aleppo, a Greek Maronite, left Egypt for Ethiopia in September 1751. Although Fr. Remedius only spent seven months in Gondar , he duly gave a full report to the Propagation of the Faith on his return to Rome in July 1754. As a result of his report the idea developed that if a delegation included an Ethiopian Catholic bishop the prospects of reuniting Christendom would be enhanced.

Abuna Tobia Giorgis Gebregziabeher

Abba Tobia was born in 1755 at Kemkem, (just north of Addis Zemen) in Dembiya. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and then continued to Rome visiting the tombs of the Apostles. Between 1782 and 1788 he was registered as a student at the "Collegio Urbano".

Episcopal consecration

Fr. Michaelangelo, the superior of the Friars in Egypt , wrote a letter suggesting that two Ethiopian priests and two Latin missionaries should be sent to Ethiopia . In response the Propagation of the Faith chose Abba Tobia and Abba Michael Kefle Giorgis. Consequently, the Holy See, nominated Abba Tobia, aged 33, as the Titular Bishop of Adulis on 21st April 1788 . Prior to his episcopal consecration, however, which took place on 24th June 1788 , the decree of his nomination had stipulated that he should take an oath to retain the use of the Ethiopian rite.

His return to Ethiopia

Even before Abuna Tobia began his journey back to Ethiopia at Suez on 26th July 1789 , tensions were mounting between himself and Fr. Michelangelo. As to who was leading whom the letter of the Propagation of the Faith, dated 20th May 1789 , should have been solved when it said: "It is appropriate that you

(Fr.Michaelangelo) may accompany him (Abuna Tobia) as far as Moha; even further if necessary." But that seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

The two Ethiopians disembarked at Massawa in October 1789, while Fr. Michelangelo only sailed from Moha in December 1789. Fr. Michelangelo stayed around Adi Gwadad until July 1790 before returning to Moha, but Abuna Tobia

and his companion headed for Adwa . Towards the end of 1790 Fr Michelangelo sent a dispatch to the Propagation of the Faith that included a letter, dated 26th May 1790 , from Emperor Hezekiah (1789 - 1794) requesting military assistance. Fr. Michelangelo received two replies, respectively dated 21st and 24th September 1791 , expressing astonishment that he should become involved in such matters, and dismissing his request as "frivolous and wildly fanciful."

Sentenced to death

Abba Michael Kefle Giorgis parted company with Abuna Tobia near Debre Damo as he had to look after his dying father. For the next sixteen months Abuna Tobia lived an eremitical life close to the ruined monastery of "Biet Meskel" at Ora ( ??) near Zelanbessa. His growing popularity nearly proved to be his undoing, as he was excommunicated and would have been thrown down a precipice on 10th January 1791 but for the timely intervention of two Orthodox priests.

In a letter dated 25th September 1792 Abuna Tobia wrote that the "Christian order had been miserably destroyed from Ambasel (the region of Dese) up to Kemkem." For three months he lived a hidden life, wandering from place to place trying to avoid the turmoil that swept the land. Eventually, soldiers trapped him. After being held their prisoner for eight days, they decided to kill him. Three times the sword was raised to deliver the fatal blow, but on each occasion uncontrollable spasms seized the soldier and he was unable to deliver the blow.

Without going into details, Abuna Tobia merely summarized his experiences by saying that he "began to reflect how the scattered sheep might be gathered together into the one sheepfold of Christ."

Only later did Abuna Tobia learn that the Patriarch of Egypt had declared him to be an outlaw in 1792. In each of the six letters dispatched by the Patriarch to

Ethiopian princes he said: "We wish to inform you that the Ethiopian named Tobias first went to Rome where he was consecrated a bishop and then returned to Ethiopia ...Diligently seek out this deceiver and when found imprison him; after lengthy torture kill him...."

For the next four years Abuna Tobia lived a hunted life. When eventually he left Ethiopia in February 1797 it was not out of feat for his life. "I wish," he wrote, "to end my life among Christians...because for four years in Ethiopia I have lived without celebrating the sacrifice of the Mass, without making a sacramental confession, nor being renewed by the Body of Christ...."

For five months he walked across the Nubian Desert before reaching the Franciscan hospice at Nagade on 9th July 1797 . From there he went to Cairo where he was not allowed, even in private, to celebrate Mass according to the Ethiopian rite, despite the oath he had taken at the insistence of Pope Pius VI. In Cairo , moreover, he fell sick with the plague and died on 7th May 1801 .