My note: Our forefathers were confident enough to answer it with YES! But the question whether Pope Pius XI was defender of Ethiopia — historical sources indicitae the contrary, that Pope Pius XI recognised Italian sovereignity over Ethiopia
For centuries, historians have widely accepted the argument that Armenia was the first Christian nation. This important claim has become a source of national pride for Armenians and has remained virtually undisputed for centuries — until now.
Armenians will likely be up at arms when they learn that a new book — “Abyssinian Christianity: The First Christian Nation?” — is challenging their claim, presenting the possibility that Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea) was the first Christian nation.
The Acts of the Apostles describes the baptism of an Ethiopian eunuch shortly after the death of Christ. Eusebius of Caesaria, the first church historian, further tells of how the eunuch returned to his land to diffuse the Christian teachings.
And the earliest Ethiopian monastic tradition is linked to the account of the Holy Family visiting Ethiopia, centuries before the Christian monastic movement emerged. According to the legend, the Child Jesus and the Virgin Mary were transported from Egypt on a silver cloud. Their arrival symbolized the renewal of the Covenant, which began when Menelich brought the Ark from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.
Addis Ethiopia Weblog 