ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, SEPT. 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Ethiopians just began the celebration of their year 2000, and the archbishop of the country's capital hopes this millennium will be a chance to make Ethiopia better known.
According to the Ethiopian calendar, based on ancient Egyptian astronomical calculations and on the Coptic, Hebrew and Julian calendars, Ethiopia began the year 2000 on Tuesday.
Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, a member of the Congregation of the Mission, told Vatican Radio: "This year means a lot."
He said that a Mass would be celebrated today with all the bishops of Ethiopia.
"During the celebration, we will receive the cross blessed by the Pope at Loreto, which will then make a trip to all the dioceses, as a sign that Ethiopia is a very ancient Christian country, and that Our Lord Jesus Christ has always protected this country," he said. "This millennium is a special occasion for making Ethiopia known, not as a country where there is hunger, drought, but as a nation that now is truly changing through the road of development.
"And the Church has a major role in this process to display a different image of Ethiopia; the Church wants the people to learn how to look ahead with hope."
New year's resolutions
According to the 59-year-old prelate, during this jubilee, the Church will encourage Christians is to be faithful to their faith, to deepen it, to live it personally and to share Ethiopian spirituality.
The Church will also encourage people to offer hospitality to the poor, the sick, and above all to those sick with AIDS, and to be "hope for this country that up until now has been known as a poor country, but which is not spiritually poor," he added.
Archbishop Souraphiel continued: "We want, moreover, to tell our faithful to live here, to not think about moving to the Middle East, Europe or America, because paradise is not there either. The situation must be changed here through education, medicine and development.
"Looking to the future we want and pray for peace, because it is the basis of development, for changing things, for living together with our neighbors."
The archbishop noted the conflicts and political instability in the region.
He said: "We want to change this situation so that people and nations can live together peacefully. This will lead to permanent solutions.
"The Church works with all the Catholic organizations for this end and we are truly happy and proud to be part of the universal Catholic Church. Wherever the Catholic Church is present it is part of the universal Church."
Despite the small percentage of Catholics in the country -- less than 1% -- the Church is active through a network of institutions and more than 50 religious congregations.
ZE07091604 - 2007-09-16