የኢትዮያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተክርስቲያን አሻራ በሸካቾ ብሔረሰብ

Abstract

Abstract:
Anyone looking at the ethnic identity, culture, and language of the ‘Shekacho’ nation, who inhabit the Sheka Zone of the Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Regional State of Ethiopia, discovers traces of the heritage of the EOTC. Looking at this heritage in the light of the contemporary teaching of the EOTC, we are able to gain remarkable insights concerning religious values, and matters of government interest. This research is devoted to identifying the footprints of the Church in the Nation, complemented by other research it constitutes a benchmark for viewing the Church’s history upstream of the Gibie River. The research was centered on the Andiracha district of Sheka Zone, which is justified by the fact that it was the last seat of the Shekacho Dynasty, where the society assembled
and their important fortification was located. In the course of this research, efforts are made to analyze the data from interviews with elders of the nation, supplemented by previous research by scholars and a team of professionals organized by the zonal administration, with the addition of information from various books. The outstanding footprints of the Church are seen in ceremonies, folklore concerning the observance of Lent, the mode of worship on Good Friday including the special type of singing, the festivities of festivals of the angels, Saints, Virgin Mary, that includes places and groups in the commemoration of the names of the Saints, the terminology and specific names used in the local calendar, including the presence of thirteen months etc.. All these justify the assumption of a strong foundation of EOTC influence previously.  Finally, it is recommended that the priests and administration of the Church should devote more time and effort to strategically reviewing the planning and carrying out of public services and communications in the area upstream of Gibei. The complex ideologies of different groups which are propagated as if the Church were absent from the area, would be challenged and refuted publically, while at the same time contributing to the energetic maintenance of the outstanding values of the Church and nation.