Father Mandefro emphasized the importance of a close relationship between Church and State. He said that it was essential that Government work closely with the Church “… because the church is the people and the people the church and the government is of the people.”
Blessed be our God; whom according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of our Lord, EYESUS KRISTOS from the dead. Dear members, I am very grateful for the opportunity given to us today to establish the ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Mission here in Jamaica.
As of today you are received as full members of The ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, which is an Indigenous Church of Africa. Today the Spirit of the Lord is given to all of you through Baptism, as it was spoken by the Prophet Ezekiel; "...I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your uncleanliness.. A New Heart I will give you and a New Spirit I will put within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes and you shall keep my ordinances and do them. You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your Fathers; and ye shall be my people and I will be your God."
( Ezekiel 36: 25-28 )
You are all sons of God through faith, for as many of you that were baptized into CHRIST have put on Christ.
All of you who are baptized into CHRIST; are baptized into HIS death. You are therefore,
buried with HIM by baptism into death, so that as CHRIST was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father,
You too may walk in the newness of Life.
Brethren, the Mother Church of ETHIOPIA is not unmindful
of your sincere devotion in the past to The ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. and to the deepest spiritual concern
of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I Defender of our Faith, and your concern in the Ethiopian World Federation.
I am sure the Mother Church in Ethiopia; can count on you as
true Christian Soldiers, who will stand fast and help to carry forward the doctrine
of Our SAVIOUR, which is needed so much in our world today.
We are in a corrupted world; in which justice, spiritual laws and principles that are given by God are condemned and crushed by the unjust. People today do not humble themselves nor recognize the rights of others. They rejoice in the work of their hands rather than the beautiful creation of Almighty God. The Truth has been manifested both in the lights of conscience and by the witness of nature, that the mysteries, which are known of God are revealed in the hearts and minds of man.
The revelation is imparted by God Himself and is mentally discerned by reflecting upon His works; but men refuse to live in accordance with the light given them. For this they are without excuse and are subject to condemnation. It is written, " Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all things shall be added to you." But man of today says, seek ye first politics, and everything else shall be added to you. Can anyone gain peace out of politics? Is it not the Lord, EYESUS KRISTOS who is the Prince of Peace, who gives peace and light to all mankind?
Brethren, according to HIS Divine Power, HE has given unto us all things that pertain unto life through the knowledge of HIM that has called us to glory and virtue;
whereby are given us exceedingly great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust. Besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you they will make you so that you will neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our SAVIOUR
(II Peter 1:3-8).
Finally; I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Rt. Rev J.C Swaby; (His Lordship of Jamaica) for allowing us to use his famous Church for the occasion. I am grateful for Brother Gordon, Brother Hibbert, Brother Arscott and other brethren who worked hard to bring the Ethiopian Orthodox Church here. Also, I am thankful for the presence of the Rt. Rev. J.J McEleny, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica, members of the Clergy dignitaries and friends. May God bless everyone. We pray Him that He may keep us in spiritual love and unity together with the Christian communities. We pray Him to make us one soul and one heart planted and animated by the Almighty Lord. AMEN.
(Abba Yesehaq May 23, 1970).
[This was a speech given at the estblishement of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church in Jamaica May 23 1970, 315 years to the Day the English took possesion of Jamaica from Spain; 760 people were baptized in one day]
"...a greater future is in store for us; we have no cause to lose hope to become faint hearted. We must realize that upon ourselves depend our destiny, our future. We must carve out that future, that destiny ... Nothing in this world shall discourage us, but opposition shall make us work harder, shall bring us closer together, so that as one man the millions of us will march on toward that goal that we have set for ourselves."
Woe unto you segregationists whose policy is only to create divisions among men. Woe unto ye hireling shepherds, for ye see the wolf coming to catch the sheep and ye flee away. Woe unto ye hired servants who commit yourselves to destroy your fellow man. Woe unto ye politicians who misused the power given you by God. "...It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement than for thee." (Matt: 11 21-24)
"Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war - And until the ignoble and unhappy regime that holds our Brothers in Angola, in Mozambique, South Africa is toppled and utterly destroyed, everywhere is war."
Oh racists "prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill be brought low; and the crooked be made smooth." (St. Luke 3: 4-5)
"....Does the name Rastafarian, applied to an individual or group, diminish that individual's or group's humanity or citizenship? "For many years Rastafarians just existed; today they are seeking, with their own incentive, because of the Orthodox Church to establish themselves as citizens of Jamaica, the world, Black Men and children of GOD. ......From my own experiences with Rastafarians since my first visit to the island last year, I know them to be an honest, peace loving, God-fearing and very creative people and by their membership in an ancient Christian Church obviously do not oppose Christianity."
(The Daily Gleaner, Abba Yesehaq. 1971)
The idea of human rights was declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. This was not supported by all the super-powers. The idea of Human Rights can only be effective by the result of its works and not by its name.
It is not the ideological name such as Democracy, Republican, Communism or any other style or name given by any goverment that makes life better for a nation.
It is hard to achieve a change of life through these unbelievable names. Such ideological forms are untrue for themselves. They are the creation of the smart man and are of little help to the general welfare of human dignity. They are effective instruments for the smart fellow, their creator.
(Abba Yesehaq)
Machine guns are a disease and are effective instruments in dividing a nation against itself or creating war with its neighbours. When an argument starts between two nations no effort is made to stop the argument; weapons are provided instead. When two nations fight, all east and west fight, only to leave the earth with widows and orphans.
The Ethiopian Tewahedo* Church is an indigenous and integral church of Africa. It is one of the oldest churches in the world, if not the oldest, and is one of the founders of the World Council of Churches.
"...His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I is the defender of the faith. He attends Church services regularly and strictly observes the frequent Fast days and Holy days. He never misses Sunday morning services. He brought a strong Unity among the Eastern Orthodox Churches with their central office being organized in Addis Ababa Ethiopia and the central committee of the world council of churches had it’s meeting in January 1971 in Addis Ababa through His Majesty."