Ethiopian Catholic Church


Ethiopian Catholic Church
ClassificationOriental Catholic
OrientationEastern Christianity
TheologyCatholic theology
PolityEpiscopal
GovernanceMetropolitanate
PopeLeo XIV
ArchbishopCardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel
RegionEthiopia
LiturgyAlexandrian Rite
HeadquartersAddis Ababa
FounderSaint Mark the Evangelist, by tradition
Congregations207 (2010)
Members70,832 (2017)
Ministers590

The Ethiopian Catholic Churchis a sui iuris (autonomous) Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ethiopia. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. Established in 1930, the church is organised under a metropolitan bishop who exercises oversight of a number suffragan dioceses. In its liturgical services, it uses the Alexandrian Rite in the Geʽez language (a local liturgical language).

It holds to the Christological doctrines defined at the Council of Chalcedon and accepts the universal jurisdiction of the pope. These points distinguish it from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, an Oriental Orthodox church which comprises most Christians in the country.