Biography
His Holiness from Early Life until Episcopacy
By Leke Tiguhan Eskender Gebere Kristos
From Birth to Ordination of Patriarchate
His Holiness Abune Mathias the then Teklemariam Asrat was born in 1941 from his mother w/o Kelela Gebremeskel and his father Ato Welde Giorgis Weldemariam in Tigray province, in the district of Agame, in Sebuha county. Both the family and the surrounding neighbors celebrated and welcome the new baby. They praised God for the blessings during the period of “Asterio” . They knew only they had a new baby without recognizing that he would be the future leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church.
The then infant and the current elder His Holiness Abune Mathias Patriarch of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of Saint Taklehaimanot grew up with love and full care with his father Ato Welde Giorgis Weldemariam and his mother W/o Kelela Gebremeskel.
Church Education and Deaconnhood
His Holiness started church education very early. Because of his commitments and grave interest to go to church school, he managed to start and attended from identification of the alphabet to reading and writing geez language from his immediate relative reverend weldegerima Weynay. When he reached the age of 12 he left Temben with his friends without informing his parents and successfully attended “bahire hasab” from Yeneta Mengiste Ab.
Teklemariam was ordained as a deacon in 1954 by Abune Markos, the then Archbishop of Eritrea. Deacon Teklemariam served in several capacities at the Chohé monastery, in Tembien district of Tigray, where he stayed for most of the subsequent 12 years. He showed a special capacity to the monastic community. With his decent nature, dedication, and effective stay he attended successfully “mezgebe Kidase” from yeneta Tesfamaryam Gebre Maryam.
During his stay in the monastery of ‘Cheh’ for twelve years, He followed the above-mentioned traditional church education in a special way. He not only finished them effectively but also mastered each subject. Consequently, He turned his face to the school of commentary and studied from ‘Yeneta Sibehat l’Ab commentary of the Hail Mary Praise Marry, Anaphora of Mary, The Mystical Lessons, and Testimony of Lord.
Monastic life
In order to accomplish the spiritual life that he obtained from ‘Mekane Hiywet Cheha’ monastery, and to achieve the spiritual purpose for which he was called, His Holiness joined monastic life in 1952 ordained by His grace Abba Yohannes and received monastic by the hand of ‘Memiher Asrate Tsiyon’ who was the abbot of ‘Mekane Hiywet Cheha’ monastery.
When we were in ‘Tenben’ district to report this news we were told quite interesting testimony about His Holiness, as the testimony given by the elder fathers who knew his holiness in the monastery for about eighty years, explained to us that the behavior of eighty years ago and the behavior of today are the same. During his stay in the monastery of ‘Cheha’ his holiness had never been out of the monastery and never been seen in town. At that time, Abba Haile Maryam, who lived in ‘Kemema Maryam’ monastery nearest to Cheha monastery, said that his holiness is a spiritual father who was admired for his perseverance, diligence, purity, and prayerful father.
His Holiness at Axum Tsion Traditional school
His Holiness traveled to Axum Tsion in 1958 in order to satisfy and strengthen his academic desire that he had started at Cheha monastery. By then, there was a notable scholar called ‘Yeneta Gbre Giyorges’ an instructor of the New Testament, Old Testament Justice of Kings, and Liturgical poetry. His Holiness joined this school keep continuing the studying of commentary that he had started while in Cheha monastery. In this school, His Holiness studied the commentary of Synoptic Gospels and stayed in Aksum Tsion for four years, and headed to Gondar for further academic purposes in 1962.
His Holiness at Gonder Traditional School
According to the tradition of E.O.T.C., it is common for traditional students to consolidate what they have learned from one school to different schools. Consequently, it was quite a decision for his holiness to go to Gonder to strengthen what he had been learning at Cheha monastery and Axun Tsion especially to be able to qualify in commentary education.
After he arrived in Gonder, his holiness went to the school of commentaries which had been managed and established by Dr. Abba Ayele Alemu who was known as “the teacher of the four congregations and four eye”. Dr. Abba Ayele Alemu was the first scholar who received a Ph.D. from his Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie the I for the first time in the history of the EOTC traditional education system. Hence, a few years later, he graduated in the commentary of the New Testament. By that time, there were scholars, who went to school together with his holiness for instance, Melake Genet Yeneta Gebre Selassie who was a scholar at Mota Debre Genet St Georges and Sewasewe Birehan St Paul Theological collage. Like Likawent Menker Mekonnen who was a scholar of the four congregations in Gonder. The son of Emahoy Gelanesh Aleka Tamiru was among the others. Although these scholars were entered ahead of his Holiness school His Holiness took advantage been keep studying from these scholars.
These scholars had been known as an assistants of Dr. Abba Ayele Alemu. However, His Holiness was appreciated by all three scholars and was surprised by his ‘quick mind’ that is open for education. In addition to this, his holiness along with a few friends attended a modern school called ‘Righteous John’ and studied elementary school. The scholars who were with him still remember the following incident when his holiness was at the house of Dr. Abba Ayele Alemu.
There was a monk called Abba Markos who had permission to give a benediction at the beginning and end of the prayer, one day this monk got up to pray us usual immediately Dr. Abba Ayele Alemu got angry and said “ sit down are you going to pray while the bishop is here?” subsequently, all those who were in the commentary school that day considered this word as a prophetic word and still remember the prophetic words spoken by their teacher. During the time when his holiness appointed and consecrated him as the patriarch of EOTC, one of his friends made testimony about the prophecy above of Dr. Ayele
The arrival of his holiness at Addis Ababa and his spiritual service
After graduating as a teacher in Hadits interpretation, His Holiness returned to the Holy Trinity Monastery in Tenbene, which was the foundation of his monastic and spiritual life. Tsabaot Holy Trinity Cathedral was assigned to mass and served in various spiritual services, during which they continued the modern education they had started while in Gondar, attended their primary education at Holy Trinity Cathedral School, and studied their secondary education at Menelik II High School.
Fathers who served with him at the time testify that our Holy Father was very popular with his superiors and colleagues because of his good performance of the responsibilities given to him during the years he worked in the cathedral and his steadfastness in his spiritual life. His Holiness resolved the misunderstandings among the ministers of the cathedral at that time through advice and education, so that love, unity and cooperation prevailed among the ministers of the cathedral.
The results achieved by negotiating with the authorities of the Derg to stop the unjustified arrests and harassment of the cathedral’s servants for reasons other than those of the authorities, so that everything can be done according to law, order and properly, will be remembered as a contribution that will never be forgotten in our church.
Another thing that should be mentioned here is that when His Holiness was serving at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, when His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie came to the cathedral to consecrate it, His Holiness used to anoint him with the gospel and kiss him.
His Holiness’s participation in the election of the late Patriarch Abune Teklehaimanot
When Abba Tekelehaimanot was nominated as a candidate to be the successor of the late patriarch AbuneTieophlos, delegates were sent to all provinces of Ethiopia. During the election of the then patriarch, His holiness (Abune Matias) was one/a member among the delegates of the patriarchate, who was sent to the province of Eritrea carrying a mission to discuss with the people and bring/come back with a candidate and voters to the election. The team was also accompanied by Mark the Journalist. Liqe kahinat Kenfegebriel Aletayie was a high priest of Eritrean provinces residing in the capital city of Asmera.
The delegates presented the following question regarding the new election of the patriarch for clergies & multitudes of Asmera.
Which group is relevant to be a nominee for the patriarchal position?
From monks who studied abroad?
Monks who had traditional/local education?
Bishops who were already abroad? Or
From all of the above?
Some clergies & multitudes from Asmera city respond that it is better to be elected by Bishops who knows all the rules and regulation (Dogmas & Canon) of the church. Some others suggested that His grace Abune Yohannes, who was a keeper of the seat of the patriarchate (Acting patriarch) should be a patriarch.
In fact, due to political interruption in Eretria, multitudes from all provinces of Eretria couldn’t engage in discussion. Therefore, the people (residents of Asmera) proposed the enabling situations that represent the whole of Aritrean’s participation.
Those proposed solutions were:
1. To have the permission of the delegates to go through all the Provinces and elected voters within three months using a helicopter as a means of transportation
2. To elect delegated voters from residents of the whole province who lived in the capital city, Asmara or
3. If the delegate from Addis Ababa didn’t permit one of the two proposed solutions let them come back to their place.
Seeking advice from the Addis Ababa Patriarchate office the delegate tried to report by telephone but it doesn’t work. Therefore, the team consulted the then-high priest of the province, Liqe kahinat Kenfegebriel Altayie, and decide to accept the second option. In such a way the multitude elected the nominee and voters and returned to Addis Ababa.
Unfortunately, when the delegated team and electorate of Asmara arrived in Addis Ababa the election was concluded and Abune Teklehaimanot was elected as a Patriarch without the participation of the northern delegated group.
His Holiness on serving as Archimandrite and deputy secretary of the Patriarch
In 1968 EC, when he was serving at Holy Trinity Cathedral, due to his exemplary spiritual attitude, scholastic personality, and hermetic life was chosen as Archimandrite and deputy secretary of his Holiness Abune Teklehaimanot. Consulting the Patriarch, he also contributed a lot to have fair leadership throughout the whole church structure with all those full fleshed traditional educational backgrounds, monastic life, pure heart spiritual attitude. His Holiness completed his high school education and prepared to go to Greek for further education. But in 1971, by the will of God, he was elected and ordained as His Grace Abune Matias Arch Bishop of Jerusalem, for the high-level hierarchy of Apostolic Mission.