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| H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus with Abba Teshome Fikre, the incoming Secretary General to Ethiopia Catholic Secretariat |
Rev. Father Teshome Fikre Woldetensae, formally Deputy Secretary General and Director of Pastoral Commission at the Ethiopia Catholic Secretariat (ECS), has been appointed the new Secretary Genera, taking over from Rev. Father Hagos Hayish, C.M. At the same time, Rev. Father Gabriel Woldehanna, OFM Cap. has been appointed as Deputy Secretary General and Director of ECS Pastoral Department.
The appointment of the two new leaders as well as the announcement of the release of Fr. Hagos from service as ECS Secretary General were shared with AMECEA Secretariat in three separate letters dated June 11, 2019, addressed individually to each one of them by H.E. Berhaneyesus D. Cardinal Souraphiel, C.M. who is the CBCS President.
In the letter to Fr. Hagos, H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus who is also Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa indicated that the Catholic Bishops during their last extraordinary meeting held on March 29, 2019 received a letter from the Ethiopian Provincial for the Congregation of Mission where Fr. Hagos belongs, requesting for his release from responsibilities as Secretary General for ECS.
As a result, the Conference accepted the request to release Fr. Hagos from his responsibility as ECS Secretary General with effect from August 31st2019. Fr. Hagos has faithfully served the Bishops conference in that capacity for the last eleven years. He will be remembered for his leadership and great contribution during the preparation and the events of AMECEA 19thPlenary Assembly which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July 2018 for the first time in the history of AMECEA.
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| Abba Hagos Hayish, C.M. Outgoing Secretary General of Ethiopia Catholic Secretariat with Chairman of AMECEA, Rt. Rev. Charles Kasonde Bishop of Solwezi, Zambia during preparations for 19th AMECEA Plenary Assembly |
“The Ordinaries of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia express their deep gratitude to you for the services you have rendered with great dedication and competence to CBCE - ECS since January 1, 2008,” Cardinal Berhaneyesus wrote, adding that the Conference greatly appreciated the Congregation of the Mission for allowing one of their own to serve the conference.
Fr. Teshome’s appointment will take effect on August 31, 2019 while Fr. Gabriel’s appointment as Deputy Secretary General and Director of Pastoral Commission started already on July 1.
AMECEA Secretary General Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde has expressed immense gratitude to Fr. Hagos for what he has been to the Church not only in Ethiopia but to the entire AMECEA Region.
“He has been a gift of God to all of us, we appreciate and acknowledge his giftedness, his simplicity, humility, commitment and love for the Church with which he has discharged his responsibilities,” Fr. Makunde said adding that it is not easy to serve as a Secretary General to any Bishops Conference for such a long time because the work need a lot of commitment and dedication.
“We join the Catholic Church in Ethiopia in thanking God for giving us the personality of Abba Hagos,” Fr. Makunde said, adding that many Bishops in AMECEA Region still bear fresh memories of the 19th Plenary Assembly, held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, a country where the Catholic Church is a minority.
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