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| Cardinal Berhaneyesus shares a light moment with Pope Francis after being installed at the Vatican on Saturday 14th |
All is set for the Catholic Church in Ethiopia to receive its new Cardinal H.E. Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel who is due back in the country on Saturday 21st February 2015 from the Vatican.
According to Johannes Makeda, the Social Communications and Public Relation Officer at the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat, the mood on the ground is full of excitement and expectation and that everybody is excited and very grateful to God and to the Holy Father Pope Francis for the honor to the Catholic Church in Ethiopia.
Ms Makeda said that His flight will touch down at Bole International Airport at 7.05 am and that all the Bishops, together with invited guests and Church officials led by the Conference Secretary General, Abba Hagos Hayish will be there to receive him at the VIP wing.
Ms. Makeda said that the seven members of the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, which is drawn from the Orthodox, the Protestant Churches and the Muslims, will also be present at the airport to meet the new cardinal as well as some government representatives. “Though we are yet to confirm who the government representatives will be coming to meet the new cardinal, we are sure there will be government representatives,” she said.
Some of the faithful will also be at the airport to receive the new cardinal. From there the procession will head to the Cathedral in Addis Ababa where the rest of the faithful, including students from various Catholic Schools in Addis Ababa and other invited guests will be waiting to receive him. At the Cathedral, there will be a short prayer after which the New Cardinal will bless the people.
The climax of the celebrations will be on Sunday 22nd when the new Cardinal will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration at the Cathedral of Addis Ababa. The Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia Most Rev. Luigi Bianco and all the Catholic Bishops are expected to attend.
“We have also invited other Religious leaders and government officials led by the minister of foreign affairs and various ambassadors and heads of various institutions. After Mass we will have a luncheon together,” she said.
“For sure his elevation is going to promote evangelization among Ethiopians, judging from the excitement that is coming from the people on the ground,” Makeda said.
Cardinal Berhaneyesus is the second Cardinal for the Catholic Church in Ethiopia. The first Cardinal was the late Paulos Cardinal Tzadua who was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Ababa on 1st March 1973 and later became the Archbishop of Addis Ababa on 24th February 1977. He was elevated to Cardinal on 25th May 1985, retired as Archbishop of Addis Ababa on 11th September 1998; he died on 11th December 2003.
H.E. Berhaneyesus Cardinal D. Souraphiel is one of the 20 Cardinals who were elevated to the College of Cardinals during the last consistory held in Rome on Saturday 14thFebruary 2015.
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
