List of Abunas of Eritrea
| Abuna of Eritrea | |
|---|---|
| Bishopric | |
| oriental | |
|
Eritrean Cross (identical to the Coptic cross) | |
|
Incumbent: Disputed Antonios or Dioskoros | |
| Style | His Holiness Patriarch of Eritrea |
| First incumbent | Phillipos |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Website |
tewahdo |
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| Eastern Christianity |
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The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church. Its autocephaly was recognised by Shenouda III, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, in 1994 after Eritrea gained its independence. Shenouda III ordained five Eritrean high-ranking clergy as Bishops of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church on 19 June 1994 in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo. This would allow the formation of a local Holy Synod for Eritrea. Shenouda also agreed that a newly elected Patriarch would be able to consecrate on his own new bishops and metropolitans for the Eritrean Church. The Patriarch of Eritrea also carries the title of Abuna in line with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
After declaration of autocephaly of the church in 1994, the position of Patriarch of Eritrea remained vacant until 1998 when Abune Phillipos became the first Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church.
List of Patriarchs of Eritrea
- Vacant (1994–1998)
- Phillipos (1998–2001)
- Yacob (2002–2003)
- Antonios (2004–2007) – Deposed by the Eritrean government;
- (Under house arrest since January 2006.)
- Dioskoros (April 2007–present)
- (Reign disputed by followers of Abune Antonios, who endorse the latter as a continuing legitimate Patriarch.)