Investiture of Bishops
September 8, 1951
``Welcoming your oath of loyalty to the Church and the State We have the
pleasure to approve your formal investiture as Bishops following your election
as such, according to the ecclesiastical rules.
We earnestly hope that the Almighty may grant you strength to carry on your work
of promoting religious activities and fostering Christianity in the Orthodox
spirit.``
November 3, 1951
``In the spiritual realm, Our sustained effort to have Ethiopia attain a station
commensurate to that achieved in the field of public administration has been
crowned with success. Let Us thank the Almighty for having blessed Us to
overcome this difficulty.``
In consonance with her new position and growing importance, for the first time
in her tbousand-year-old history of relations with the Church, Ethiopia is now
consecrating and investing ber own bishops.
November 3, 1959
``...Our preoccupations, however, have not been concerned solely with the
material welfare of Our people. We have already mentioned Our activities in the
field of education. The development of the resources of intelligence which
education draws forth from Our people - vital as it is - without moral
inspiration and guidance, can never of itself work for the good of all. Man, who
is by nature selfish, must learn that only in serving others can he reach the
full stature or attain the noble destinies for which God created him. We have,
therefore, spared no effort to encourage and sustain the Church in its high
mission of preserving and inculcating into the youth those spiritual values and
ideals which, for centuries, have guided the destinies of Our beloved people. It
was, in consequence, with deep gratification that, during the past year, We were
able to bring about the full recognition of the Ethiopian Church as the
autocephalous and national Church of the Empire. The Church which, through
centuries of struggle and martyrdom, has pursued its task of evangelism and
education, has Our continued support...``