Ethiopians marked Easter festivities on Sunday with vows to embrace sacrifice, love and peace in a country facing armed conflict and other challenges.
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During Fasika, as Easter is known in Ethiopia, Christians of all denominations – including the majority Orthodox group – come together to celebrate Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
For some Ethiopians, religious festivals in recent months have acquired more meaning with the conflict in the Amhara region and instability in neighbouring Tigray, where a deadly war ended with a peace deal in 2022.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement that it “takes patience, humility and sacrifice to achieve dialogue and reconciliation to heal a nation.”
At the cathedral known as Medhane Alem in the capital Addis Ababa, mammoth congregations took part in services marked by acts of devotion, including kneeling and prostration. The public rituals attest to the passion of Christ.
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The presiding priest, Leul Adbaru, urged the faithful to reflect on the meaning of the sacrifice made by Jesus. “Ethiopians ought to believe, understanding for whom Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary,” he said.