Representatives of the Church in Ethiopia and Eritrea celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Monday, May 12, in the Choir Chapel of St. Peter's Basilica as part of the Jubilee of Eastern Churches.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, Archbishop of Addis Ababa, presided at the Divine Liturgy in the Geʽez Rite.

Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam of Asmara concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with him, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, offered an impromptu greeting at the start of the liturgy.

The Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholic Churches are juridically structured as Metropolitan Churches sui iuris, and both belong to the Alexandrian tradition and share the Ge‘ez liturgy.

In Rome, future priests of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches are formed at the Pontifical Ethiopian College.

The spirituality of these Churches has deep biblical roots that date back to the story of the Queen of Sheba, drawn to the wisdom of King Solomon, as told in the Books of Kings (1 Kings 10) and Chronicles (2 Chronicles 9), and of their son Menelik, who became heir to the throne of Axum.

Another foundational episode was that of the Deacon Philip, recounted in Chapter 8 of the Acts of the Apostles, describing his encounter with the official of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia.