Pope Francis also received the genocider Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia. This evil Oromo Antichrist offered a present of traditional Ethiopian prayer fabrics, along with a painting of the Risen Christ to the Pope. Can you see the similarity between what Zelensky gave the Pope and what Ahmed Ali presented? We remember that the dirty Ahmed Ali displayed the upside down cross in public during Easter. Both these criminal leaders (Zelensky is Jewish, and Ahmed Ali is Muslim-Protestant) are waging a genocidal war against the Orthodox Church.
😈 Well, when the hornets 666 armies meet, they ‘satisfy’ their prince Lucifer in this form.
😲 During a meeting with the Pope, Zelensky handed him an “icon” of the Mother of God with a void in the place where the Savior should have been.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who met with Pope Francis last week, presented the pontiff with gifts that are offensive to Orthodox Christian believers, the il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper wrote.
The controversial item is an icon of Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus, who is depicted only as a black outline.
“It was supposed to symbolize the ‘loss’ of Ukrainian children in the conflict, but to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the ‘loss’ of Child Jesus means the loss of the Messiah, the loss of the reason to exist for the institute of the church itself,” the paper quoted a prominent journalist, historian and former senator Raniero La Valle as saying.
In his opinion, the picture in fact symbolizes “erasing Christ from the cross and the denial of his resurrection.”
Another present by Zelensky was the painting of Madonna, made on a fragment of a bulletproof vest, against the bloody red background with stripes in colors of the Ukrainian flag.
In contrast, Pope Francis gave President Zelensky a bronze sculpture representing an olive branch, a symbol of peace. He also gifted him with several documents devoted to peace and fraternity.
👉 Selected comments courtesy of ‘Living Orthodox‘ who shared his reaction with us in the 2nd part of the video under the title: „The Heresy of Political Ideology—We Must Not Be of the World.„
– Though blasphemous…I can’t help but wonder if God allowed it as a message to His Children, and the world, that these two leaders are not cooperating with His Will to put it lightly, therefore, He is absent in the whole exchange for both the giver and receiver as depicted on the “icon”…where the giver is deliberate and obvious but the receiver’s current stance in corporation with the world portrays a cheap rendition of what our Lord and Savior is not (looks like it was created with magic markers or is a computer-generated print out amongst the “black void”)…therefore, this “icon” represents their truth as it relates to the war, social/political/global agendas, and the spiritual implications to all of it (unless they repent, God-willing). In other words, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is absent because the exchange and powers that be between these two are not in accordance with His Will…so in that way, the “icon” may be accurate in relaying God’s message regarding these affairs and possibly why He allowed such a disgraceful “icon” to be revealed openly to the public and the world at large.
– Living Orthodox: God does indeed permit things like this not only as a correction, but indeed to highlight and reveal different issues. More so, it is to spurn the faithful to action and to warn us from the sleep of worldliness and humanism. St. Justin Popovich wrote extensively on this matter.
– Not just blasphemous, but generally unskilled “icon” writing. The quality is as poor as the taste in which it was given. Kyrie Eleison!
– Father God Bless. If Zelensky views the ukrainian people only as a resource to exploit, why hasn’t he left Ukraine as soon as it got dangerous for him? Or do you think he is enjoying his portrayal as a brave and heroic leader in the western media so much that vainglory is his motivation?
– Lots of parallels to what Hitler did, he replaced the pastors, murdered or imprisoned those who wouldn’t go along, created his own churches, and wrote his own version of the bible. It is that same spirit.
– Father, do you think Zelenskyy is an Antichrist?
Living Orthodox: “I don’t have enough discernment to say for certain. But I would say he’s likely a type of one. He’s placed the identity of a nation in the place of God. Anti means “in place of or instead of”…”
– As an American, I feel grief and sorrow at my country’s role in this awful war and ecclesiastical confusion.
– Christ is Risen. So sad that many innocent people are dying because of this horrible behavior. Blessings to you and all Orthodox who are true to the faith
💭 Returning From Africa, Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the foremost Presbyterian minister in Scotland church leaders condemn anti-Gay laws.
In an in-flight news conference after six days in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, Francis also denounced conservative critics who he said had “instrumentalized” the death of Benedict XVI.
The three Christian leaders were returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country’s peace process forward.
They were asked about Francis’s recent comments in which he declared that laws that criminalise gay people were ‘unjust’ and that ‘being homosexual is not a crime’.
South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalises homosexuality. In 11 countries, people can be sentenced to the death penalty for being part of the LGBT community.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said LGBTQ rights were very much on the current agenda of the Church of England and committed to quoting the pope’s own words when the issue is discussed at the church’s upcoming General Synod.
The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.
Catholic teaching currently holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are ‘intrinsically disordered’.
👉 Pregnant Secretary of Pope Francis Found Dead in Her Rome Apartment
Flying back to Rome from a trip to Mexico, the pope said: “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
👉 Some think, excuse me if I use the word, that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits — but no.
Pope Francis, january 19, 2015, interview, on a flight to Rome
“Europe is struggling through record breaking temperatures, with Portugal and Spain reaching the triple-digits. Italy is in the midst of a severe drought that is threatening some of the country’s most famous food exports. CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay joined Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green from one Italian region that is running out of water.”
💭 Italy at Risk of Famine Due to Drought | ጣሊያን በድርቅ ምክንያት የረሃብ አደጋ ተጋርጦባታል።
A ship approached Ukraine on Friday to pick up wheat for hungry people in Ethiopia, in the first food delivery to Africa under a U.N.-brokered plan to unblock grain trapped by Russia’s war and bring relief to some of the millions worldwide on the brink of starvation.
The largest river in northern Italy is starting to dry up, as the region grapples with the worst drought the country has seen in 70 years.
Unusually low levels of River Po – Italy’s largest river – are transforming the country’s large fertile region, affecting crop production and threatening the densely populated region with a serious drinking water shortage.
While Northern Italy hasn’t seen normal rainfall for more than 110 days, the problems start in the mountains where the seasonal snowfall has been at its lowest for 20 years – 50% less than the seasonal average.
Rivers and streams in the Po district are at critical levels due to scarce winter precipitation, both snow and rain, causing severe to extremely severe drought conditions not seen in the region in 70 years, according to the Po River Basin Authority.
All measuring stations at the Po River, with the exception of Piacenza, are in severe drought conditions, with flow rates well below the averages for the period.
The precipitation that fell in May was mainly due to localized thunderstorms, even violent, but not sufficient to fill the deficit since the beginning of the year.
Temperatures in the month of May were above average for the period, with maximum values close to or locally above historical records for the month, with significant thermal anomalies beyond the first appearance of the first heat waves, which generated a sharp increase in the phenomenon of evapotranspiration.
At a monitoring station in Boretto, Alessio Picarelli, head of the Interregional Body of the Po River (AIPO), received results that the Po was measuring 2.9 m (9.5 feet) below the zero gauge height, which is drastically below the seasonal average. This is causing the seawater to be sucked back upstream, bringing saltwater into the earth and poisoning crops.2
According to the farmers’ association Coldiretti, the drought in the Po River Valley threatens more than 30% of national agricultural production, including tomato sauce, fruit, vegetables, and wheat, and half of the livestock of the country.
“In the face of a water crisis, the severity of which is about to surpass what has ever been recorded since the beginning of the last century, we ask that a state of emergency be declared as soon as possible in the territories concerned, taking into account the serious prejudice of national interests,” the president of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini, said in the letter sent to Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Rome, Enough is Enough! Roma, Basta!
In Historical Context, Rome Caused Massive Destruction to The Zionist Community of Northern Ethiopia.
Esau is The Ancestor of Pagan Rome
The most hated of [God’s] sons is in your womb, as it says (Mal 1:3), “But Esau I have hated…”
Malachi used by Paul in Romans: God hates Esau, says the prophet Malachi, but in this case, Esau is not a code for Paul’s opponents but for the Roman Empire.
Edomites Descendants of Esau
The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob. In the womb, Esau and Jacob struggled together, and God told their mother, Rebekah, that they would become two nations, with the older one serving the younger (Genesis 25:23). As an adult, Esau rashly sold his inheritance to Jacob for a bowl of red soup (Genesis 25:30-34), and he hated his brother afterward. Esau became the father of the Edomites and Jacob became the father of the Israelites, and the two nations continued to struggle through most of their history. In the Bible, “Seir” (Joshua 24:4), “Bozrah” (Isaiah 63:1) and “Sela” (2 Kings 14:7) are references to Edom’s land and capital. Sela is better known today as Petra.
The name “Edom” comes from a Semitic word meaning “red,” and the land south of the Dead Sea was given that name because of the red sandstone so prominent in the topography. Esau, because of the soup for which he traded his birthright, became known as Edom, and later moved his family into the hill country of the same name. Genesis 36 recounts the early history of the Edomites, stating that they had kings reigning over them long before Israel had a king (Genesis 36:31). The religion of the Edomites was similar to that of other pagan societies who worshiped fertility gods. Esau’s descendants eventually dominated the southern lands and made their living by agriculture and trade. One of the ancient trade routes, the King’s Highway (Numbers 20:17) passed through Edom, and when the Israelites requested permission to use the route on their exodus from Egypt, they were rejected by force.
Because they were close relatives, the Israelites were forbidden to hate the Edomites (Deuteronomy 23:7). However, the Edomites regularly attacked Israel, and many wars were fought as a result. King Saul fought against the Edomites, and King David subjugated them, establishing military garrisons in Edom. With control over Edomite territory, Israel had access to the port of Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea, from which King Solomon sent out many expeditions. After the reign of Solomon, the Edomites revolted and had some freedom until they were subdued by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser.
During the Maccabean wars, the Edomites were subjugated by the Jews and forced to convert to Judaism. Through it all, the Edomites maintained much of their old hatred for the Jews. When Greek became the common language, the Edomites were called Idumaeans. With the rise of the Roman Empire, an Idumaean whose father had converted to Judaism was named king of Judea. That Idumaean is known in history as King Herod the Great, the tyrant who ordered a massacre in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the Christ child (Matthew 2:16-18).
After Herod’s death, the Idumaean people slowly disappeared from history. God had foretold the destruction of the Edomites in Ezekiel 35, saying, “As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 35:15). Despite Edom’s constant efforts to rule over the Jews, God’s prophecy to Rebekah was fulfilled: the older child served the younger, and Israel proved stronger than Edom.
Avenging Africanus: Belisarius and the Roman Empire’s Return to Africa
Fifty years after the Western Roman Empire was toppled by the Goth warlord Odoacer, a new Caesar is crowned in Byzantium. This man, the Emperor Justinian, refuses to accept that Rome’s best days have passed. With the help of his extraordinary young General Belisarius, Justinian will attempt the impossible – to expel the barbarians from Rome’s Lost Lands and to restore the Empire to its former glory. Join them on their adventure in the LEGEND OF AFRICANUS trilogy. In AVENGING AFRICANUS, the sequel to FROM AFRICANUS, General Belisarius leads Valentinian and the Roman Army on a perilous journey across Mare Nostrum to Africa in order to punish the Vandals for the Sack of Rome a century before, their invasion of Rome’s African province, and their role in the collapse of the Western Empire. The journey is perilous – many prior expeditions against the Vandals had been tried and failed. The Vandal horde outnumbers the Romans twenty to one. If they fail there will be no rescue. If they prevail, the Emperor Justinian’s plan for restoring the Western Empire will be within reach.
❖ One of The Oldest Christian Aksumite Churches Discovered in Ethiopia
😈 Edomite Pagan Rome vs ✞The Oldest Christian Nation of Axumite Ethiopia
A stone pendant with a cross and the term “venerable” in Ethiopia’s ancient Ge’ez script
Some people believe that they know everything about Christianity and its spread, but they don’t know that one of the oldest Christian churches of the Aksumites was discovered in Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Christians claim that their church is one of the oldest. The Christian faith in this area, as they believe, was brought by the first companions of the faith in ancient apostolic times. A recent archaeological find in northern Ethiopia may surprise some Christians and people who have nothing to do with Christianity.
The area where archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of an ancient Christian church was once part of the mighty Aksumite Empire. During its heyday, this empire covered the territories of modern Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and part of the Arabian Peninsula, the researchers note.
Historians managed to unearth the remains of an important site of the Aksumite Empire: a large commercial and religious centre. This ancient city was located north of the Sahara. Between the capital of the empire – Aksum, on the one hand, and the Red Sea, which the then inhabitants of this land called Yeha, on the other hand. The remains of a settlement unearthed during excavations may help reveal some of the mysteries surrounding the rise and fall of this oldest African empire.
Archaeologist Michael Harrower of Johns Hopkins University says that the Axum Empire was a very influential and powerful civilization in the ancient world. He also adds that it is a pity that the Western world is completely unaware of this. But, apart from Egypt and Sudan, which everyone knows about, the Aksumites are the earliest civilization with a complex structure on the African continent.
On the territory of Beta Samati, researchers found a whole group of commercial buildings, many residential buildings. The most important discovery was the discovery of one of the oldest Christian temples in Africa. Archaeologists attributed this structure to the 4th century AD. It is believed that it was built sometime after Christianity was adopted in Aksum. On the temple’s territory, archaeologists have found a well-preserved pendant, coins, figurines and vessels for transporting wine.
The most exciting find was a black stone pendant with an inscription in the shape of a cross. The descriptions on the pendant are made with the letters of the Ethiopian alphabet. This alphabet is still used in the region. Harrower also said the pendant was the size to hang around the neck and was likely worn by a local priest. The archaeological team also found a ring.
A stone pendant with a cross and the term “venerable” in Ethiopia’s ancient Ge’ez script
The ring is forged from copper. It was covered with gold leaf on top. The jeweller who made the ring adorned it with carnelian – a gemstone of red colour. The stone is engraved in the form of a bull’s head with a wreath or a vine above its head.
The researchers determined the construction of the discovered Christian temple as the same period when Christianity was first legalized by the Roman emperor Constantine. Rome was about 3000 miles from Axum.
The Axumite Empire connected Rome and Byzantium. It was an extensive network of trade routes. Despite all this, little is known about the Aksumites.
There is a version that the king of Ezana converted the empire to Christianity in the middle of the fourth century, and soon after, this church was built. The building is quite large, very similar in style to the ancient Roman basilicas.
Researchers found many artefacts of both secular and religious nature inside the structure, including crosses, animal figurines, seals and tokens, which were most likely used for trade. Overall, the items they found suggested a mix of Christian and pre-Christian beliefs, as would be expected at the beginning of the spread of the faith.
The Aksum Empire was mighty and influential until the 8-9 centuries when its decline began. Islam came to the region. Muslims seized control of trade in the Red Sea. And the once-mighty empire disappeared over time.
It is fascinating that despite the spread of Islam, the Christian faith remained solid and predominant in this region. Even when in the 16th century, the area was captured by Muslims from Somalia and the Ottoman Empire. Despite this, the inhabitants of the region have preserved the Christian faith. Even now, almost half of the country consider themselves members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
There are many other ancient Christian churches in Ethiopia. Many of them were built during the Middle Ages – not as venerable as archaeologists have discovered today. Their construction is very curious. They are built underground! The depth of the square pits where these temples were built reaches 50 meters. This is the height of two nine-story buildings!
These buildings have a roof and cross-shaped windows. Everything was built of stone. These churches are significantly younger than the ones found at Beta Sameti. There are several theories about who might have made these churches. Some say that the temples were built by the order of King Lalibela. He visited Jerusalem, was very upset that the temple in the holy land was destroyed, and the king decided to build his “new Jerusalem”. Other historians claim that the Templars built the temples. And there is a fantastic version that angels in one night erected the churches.
There is not much concrete evidence to support any of the theories, but one thing is clear: Ethiopia’s claim that it is the oldest “official” Christian country in the world has very concrete grounding.
Una tragedia che interpella la coscienza di tutti: l’allarme alimentare nel Tigray. Nel saluto post Angelus, Francesco recita un’Ave Maria per la popolazione della regione dell’Etiopia colpita da violenze. L’appello a non tollerare che si muoia di fame.
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Addis Ethiopia Weblog 