Eight decades have passed since the death of martyr Bishop Abune Petros who became martyr on the 29th of July 1936, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in the struggle against colonialism and oppression.
Abune Petros was born in 1892 to a farmer family in the town of Fiche, located about 115 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. He got the baptismal name Hailemariam that means power of St. Mary. As the custom of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) tradition he got a special bishop name that is ‘PETROS’ with the Ethiopian title for a bishop which is ‘ABUNE’. He chose early to study the EOC deacon and priest education.
At the age of 24 he took the EOC oath and became a monk. He grew up and became a principled and well-known teacher around the monasteries in Fiche and Wolayta areas. Since 1918 to his day of execution, he has served as teacher and priest at different churches and monasteries. And he was nominated to be one of four bishops of Ethiopia, with the title and name ABUNE PETROS in 1928.
When the Italian fascist Mussolini’s army invaded Ethiopia in 1932, Abune Petros followed with Emperor Haile Selassie and the Ethiopian defense forces to the northern front. During that time he saw the undiscerning terror and violence of the invading army: He saw how the invading army with the help of nerve gas and technologically advanced weaponry burned down the forest and villages with innocent civilians and at last won the war at Maichew.
Abune Petros began his crusade against the invading army’s terror and killing machinery. He went further and condemned all the violent actions and killings of civilians by the invading army. The fascist army sent letters to win the support of the popular and respected bishop Abune Petros to its camp, to accept the powerful army of Italy as government and stop with his preaching against the violence of the army on civilians and the patriots.
If he did this, they promised him the best residential quarters and a peaceful life in Addis Ababa. Yet, he refused to accept the offer and stayed in fasting and prayer in the monastery of Debre-Libanos. He further continued his teachings and preaching to the people to stand-up for their belief and conviction and that God would visit the downtrodden people of Ethiopia soon.
The Italian authorities in Addis Ababa who saw and heard him preach wanted by all means to stop Abune Petros from preaching and inciting people to resistance. However, since he was a very popular and respected bishop, many in the Italian authorities would rather win his support to accept the Italian authority in Ethiopia than imprisoning or killing him.
The soldiers were given order to arrest the Abune and bring him to court for treason against the Italian occupation. While he was in prison waiting for court appearance, they tried to convince him to accept the Italian occupation. And finally gave him the following ultimatum: To stop preaching against the occupying army’s violence and terror against civilians and the patriots, accept the Italian authorities in Addis Ababa and finally condemn the patriots as bandits. Otherwise, he was told that he will lose his life.
Abune Petros refused to comply with the ultimatum set by his tormentors. After this a quickly assembled court sentenced Abune Petros to death. The news of the death sentence on the popular bishop of Ethiopia spread over the whole country. “When Abune Petros came to the place of execution and was given to say his last words, he took his hand cross and removed the blue cloth that was wrapped around it and blessed the people at the four corners of the world and said the following last words: ’My country men do not believe the fascists if they tell you that the patriots are bandits, the patriots are people who yearn for freedom from the terrors of fascism.’
Bandits are the soldiers who are standing in front of me and you, who come from afar, terrorize and violently occupy a weak and peaceful country: our Ethiopia. May God give the people of Ethiopia the strength to resist and never bow down to the fascist army and its violence! May the Ethiopian earth never accept the invading army’s rule,‘ Ethiopian Orthodox church newspaper Vol. 1, No. 8.9.10, 1945.
After that a swarm of bullets from the execution platoon pierced and killed the beloved bishop Abune Petros. The fascist army wanted by any means to cover up the crime they did against Abune Petros and Ethiopia by forbidding everybody and all writings about his execution. Because of his popularity both inside and outside of Ethiopia they thought it might injure their policy of occupying Ethiopia due to the domestic and international opinion that grew against this act. However hard they tried to stop the publicity, the example of Abune Petros shines in all people who love the truth unto this day.
Above all, the fascist army lost all credibility from the domestic opinion, many found courage after this to leave the occupying army’s stronghold in the capital city to join the patriots and fight for independence. The patriotic resistance grew more in strength and lead to a sooner freedom of the country from the fascist occupation. The popular Ethiopian Poet-Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin has illustrated the last days of Abune Petros life by a theatre play called: “Petros at that Hour”.
A statue of Abune Petros was raised in the capital city Addis Ababa after the freedom, as a reminder to coming generations of: his unwavering stand for the truth, his unbending courage to stand up against every form of violence against humanity, his integrity and commitment not to give in for short term gain or threat.
The Ethiopian Herald August 1, 2020
BY HIZKEL HAILU
