Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
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The Roman Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.
There are approximately 800,000 Catholics in Ethiopia - just under 1% of the total population. There are ten territorial jurisdictions including 1 archdiocese, 1 diocese, 5 Apostolic Vicariates, 1 Eparchy and 1 Apostolic Prefecture.
[edit] History
The Portuguese voyages of discovery at the end of the fifteenth century opened the way for direct contacts between the Church in Rome and the Church in Ethiopia. Due largely to the behaviour of the Portuguese Alfonso Mendez, whom Pope Urban VIII appointed as Patriarch of Ethiopia in 1622. Emperor Fasilides expelled the Patriarch and the European missionaries, who included Jerónimo Lobo, from the country in 1636; these contacts, which had seemed destined for success under the previous Emperor, led instead to the complete closure of Ethiopia to further contact with Rome.
[edit] See also
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