Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church of North and South America
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In a climate of confusion, various branches of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church now exist in the west, reflecting the painful condition of Africa. The Last King of Ethiopia, official head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, commissioned Abuna Mikael Gabre Kristos, to establish the Church in the America's of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. In the capital city of Addis Ababa, Abuna Mikael was ordained Episcopacy, by His Holiness Abuna Basilios, Abuna Markos, Patriarch of Gojam and His Grace Petros, Metropolitan of Gonder, July 12, 1959. Two days later, in the royal hall,he was invested in office by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Halle Selassie I, and sent with Ukase to establish the church in the west, especially towards Africans of the Diaspora. He was bestowed and installed in the order of Nebur-id. Knowing that unfavorable political change which would affect the church was soon forthcoming, and that there might come a necessity to create a legally separate organization in the west, His Majesty gave Abuna Mikael the freedom to do so.
Abuna Mikael in the year 1959 served as sponsor for a group of five priests and five deacons sent by Abuna Basilios for advanced study. However, some of the priests, including Fr. Laike Mandefro broke relations with Abuna Mikael.Fr. Laike Mandefro sought authority from His Eminence Abuna Tewopholis (after the death of Abuna Basilios) to begin to gather Ethiopian-Americans into a congregation in Brooklyn, later relocating to the Bronx. As Fr. Laike Mandefro work grew, he was raised to the rank of Archimandrite and placed in charge of the Ethiopian Church in the West, Archimandrite Mandefro was consecrated a bishop. Mandfredo was invested as [[Abuna Yeshaq]] (the Old Testament's "Isaac"), Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere, in 1979
Abuna Mikael recognized such a need, and established the Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church of North and South America, reinserting the name “Coptic” into the name of the church, (1962) because he wanted strongly to identify with and maintain connection to the Egyptian Coptic Patriarchy as well as the royal and ecclesiastical line of Ethiopia. His Beatitude imparted to each of his sons the coveted Apostolic Succession of the Oriental Stream.
[[His Holiness Pope Kyril VI]] approved the initiation of the Patriarchate of Ethiopia, long hoped for by the Ethiopian church, by ordaining the first Ethiopian patriarch, His Holiness Abuna Basilios. This Established for the first time a separate Ethiopian Orthodox Church (1959), which until then had existed as a branch under the mother Coptic Church of Egypt.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church of NSA, being an Autocephalous body, recognize H.H Pope Shenouda III (pontificy), Abuna Merkorios, in exile, as the lawful Patriarch, and Abuna Apollo as our Metropolitan Primate. Being an autocephalous body, we are not under controlled or directly governed by the See of Alexandria. The Holy See of the Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Archdiocese of North and South Amercia is located in Manhattan, New York, USA
