Father Merhakristos Gobezayehu Yilma ordained Bishop of Hawassa in Ethiopia

Bishop Gobezayehu Yilma – who took the episcopal name Merhakristos (Led by Christ in Ge’ez, the ancient liturgical language in Ethiopia) – was ordained by Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, the archeparch of Addis Ababa, assisted by Bishop Abraham Desta, Vicar Apostolic of Meki, and Comboni Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse, Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Ababa Archeparchy.

Seven other bishops – six from Ethiopia and one from Nigeria – were present, along with over 100 priests, both local and from other dioceses or missionary institutes. There was also a big number of sisters and catechists, as well as a huge crowd that filled the Cathedral and three vast tents outside it – about 5,000 faithful Catholics. There were also numerous guests from Europe and the USA, local politicians and representatives of Protestant churches.

The joyous liturgy, well organised and participated, was celebrated in the Latin Rite in Amharic and took more than five hours. Prayers were recited in various languages in the vicariate: Sidama, Guji, Borana and Gedeo. It was broadcasted by the Ethiopian Pax Catholic TV and the Sidama Media Corporation, in the Internet, by FM Radio Fana in three languages, Amharic, Oromo and Sidama, and by close circuit outside the cathedral.

Comboni missionary Father Juan Núñez, apostolic administrator of Hawassa for more than four years, greeted the ordination of the new bishop with great joy. “The interim period has been so long that it seemed to become permanent. But no one forgot the wait and everyone continued to pray that Hawassa would have a Shepherd. And the auspicious day has come. Today we are celebrating his consecration and his taking possession of the ‘empty chair’. This is the reason for our joy”, he wrote in his message.

In the speeches at the end of the celebration Msg Massimo Catterin, Charge d’affaires at the Vatican Nunciature in Addis Ababa, thanked Bishop Merhakristos for having accepted God’s call to be Hawassa’s Vicar Apostolic.

“Remember that you were consecrated a bishop in the Year of the Jubilee”, he said. He thanked Fr Núñez for his generous service as Apostolic Administrator.

Bishop Merhakristos was born in Dodola, Bale Zone, 46 years ago. Before joining the Meki Major Seminary, he studied agriculture at Jima University. He did his basic theological formation at the Capuchin Franciscan Institute in Addis Ababa being ordained to the priesthood in 2005. He earned a Masters in Development Studies at Kimmage Development Studies Institute, a License in Divinity in Catholic Social Teaching and a PhD with a dissertation focused on the ethical evaluation of the developmental state paradigm based on the Christian anthropology of John Paul II at the Pontifical University of Maynooth, in Ireland.

Prior to his appointment as Apostolic Vicar of Hawassa, Bishop Merhakristos was Vicar Delegate of the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki and Executive Director of Caritas-Meki. Bishop Merhakristos, who chose “O Perpetual Help” as the motto for his episcopacy, is the fifth bishop of Hawassa Vicariate and the first Ethiopian to govern it. The previous bishops were all Italian: three Combonis and one Salesian. The Apostolic Vicariate of Hawassa, in the south of Ethiopia, covers an area of over 100 thousand square kilometres with nine million inhabitants. It has almost 290,000 faithful, spread over 20 parishes and 558 chapels.

Two Comboni Missionaries Frs Bruno Maccani and Bruno Lonfernini, both expelled from Southern Sudan, arrived in Hawassa on December 18, 1964, to start a very successful missionary enterprise first among the Sidama e after with the Gedeo and Guji. Later, they were joined by the Holy Ghost Missionaries among the Borana, the Salesians who assumed the mission of Dilla from the Combonis, and the Apostles of Jesus, from Kenya, who took over two Comboni missions, one among the Gedeo and the other among Guji, and started the Catholic presence among the Amaro. The Jesuits and the Fidei donum opened one mission each among the Guji.

Currently, the Vicariate counts among its personnel, 531 parttime and 109 fulltime catechists, 74 religious sisters from 11 missionary and one local congregations, 47 religious priests and six brothers from four missionary institutes, 21 diocesan priests, nine major seminarians and two deacons.

Fr. José Vieira e Fr. Pedro Pablo, Comboni missionaries in Hawassa