Let’s Conquer Hatred with Love, Cardinal Says in Message for Good Friday in Ethiopia

The military offensive was in response to the alleged attack on Ethiopia’s largest military base located in Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, by forces loyal to the region’s government.

According to the leadership of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights organization, since the war began, over 52,000 people have died, an estimated 1.7 million have been displaced internally and over 60,000 have fled the country.

In his Message for Good Friday in Ethiopia, the Archbishop of Addis Ababa who doubles as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE), calls on “all people of good will to pray”, especially for those affected by the war.

He asks that “the King of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, grant true peace to our land of Ethiopia.”

“I call once again on all people of good will to pray together for those who are suffering severely from the war,” the 73-year-old member of the Congregation of the Mission (CM) says.

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He adds, in reference to the Easter celebration in Ethiopia slated for Sunday, April 24, “The resurrection of Christ gives power to every Christian and to mankind to overcome all evils and sin.”

“As we celebrate this Easter, I would like to entrust all of us to celebrate by doing our best to share the grief and the suffering of the needy, the weak, the displaced, and the sick,” Cardinal Souraphiel says in his Message for Good Friday in Ethiopia shared with ACI Africa.

He further says, “In the name of the resurrected Jesus Christ, we beseech all concerned body to facilitate for accesses so that emergency humanitarian aids can reach the people who currently are very much in need.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.