Holy water in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Holy water (Amharic: ፀበል) is deeply rooted tenet in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, believed to able cast demons and cure illed people effectively. Water can be poured to person or drinking are the main practice for "healing toxic". Various monasteries also renowned for holy water provision where many Ethiopian Christians make pilgrims to acquire. In addition, holy water is important at Timkat (Epiphany) celebration where priests set up holy water and blessed to baptize the Christians for "purifying souls from sins".[1]

Timkat ceremony at Fasilides Bath, 2011

Purposes

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church considered holy water a healer from demons and illed people. The water also should to be consumed for removal of "harmful things inside stomach".[2][3] Studies shows that majority Ethiopians prefer traditional healings such as holy water to biomedical services for major illness, particularly for mental illness.[4] 98% belief based on traditional healings of holy water.[5] Holy water also associated with HIV AIDS healer; in particular by using antiretroviral therapy (ART) together with holy water remaining controversial among research participants.[6] Many people go to holy water sites for treatment such as monasteries, with 5,000 pilgrims held daily and cure process include way of prayer, consumption and bathing.[7][8] Visitors often fill their bottle or jerrycans with holy water and consume it at home.[9][10][11] In Lalibela, the use of traditional healings method is common.[12] An estimated 5,000 people moved to Entoto Church where holy water also existed and majority engulfed to renowned Tsadkane Mariam Monastery.[13][8][14]

In celebration

Holy water popularly used in public holiday such as Timkat (Epiphany), in which Christians gathered in small water pool set by priests during Ketera (an eve of Timkat).[15][16] After priests and deacons prayed and bless the holy water, the water sprayed on the people to "purify souls from the skin committed". Most of these events took place at Jan Meda Square.[1] In Gondar, the Fasilides Bath represents Jordan River. At the eve, local people flock the city into the bath with eight of forty-four tabots arrived in all directions.[17]

References
  1. Fortune, Addis. "Holy Water Shower". addisfortune.net. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  2. "Church endorses 'holy water' and ARVs as people flock to miracle mountain". The New Humanitarian. 2007-05-25. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  3. "HIV Prevention and Counseling at Holy Water Sites in Ethiopia". globalhealth.washington.edu. 2015-09-28. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  4. Tadesse, Zelalem (14 July 2022). The Practice of Holy Water Therapy for Mental Disorders (Thesis). Addis Ababa University. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  5. Baheretibeb, Yonas; Wondimagegn, Dawit; Law, Samuel (2021-05-05). "Holy water and biomedicine: a descriptive study of active collaboration between religious traditional healers and biomedical psychiatry in Ethiopia". BJPsych Open. 7 (3): e92. doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.56. ISSN 2056-4724. PMC 8142542. PMID 33947496.
  6. Berhanu, Zena (2010-08-31). "Holy Water as an Intervention for HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia". Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services. 9 (3): 240–260. doi:10.1080/15381501.2010.502802. ISSN 1538-1501. S2CID 71081016.
  7. "Holy water in Ethiopia". 14 July 2022. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.966.8407.
  8. itechadmin (2014-09-08). "Stories of Success from Ethiopia: The Tsadkane Holy Water Well". I-TECH. Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  9. "Thousands of Ethiopian pilgrims flocking to religious sites". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  10. Drum: A Magazine of Africa for Africa. African Drum Publications. 1999. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  11. Hannig, Anita (2013). "The Pure and the Pious: Corporeality, Flow, and Transgression in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity". Journal of Religion in Africa. 43 (3): 297–328. doi:10.1163/15700666-12341254. ISSN 0022-4200. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  12. "Faith as a Means of Healing: Traditional Medicine and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church In and Around Lalibela". 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. "'Holy water cures even HIV' - ICIJ". 2006-11-30. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  14. "Journey to Entoto Mariam Church | Global Impressions". Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  15. Fuller, Linda K. (2004). National Days/national Ways: Historical, Political, and Religious Celebrations Around the World. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-97270-7. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  16. Bierbaum, Bernd (2011). In Ethiopia. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-8448-5884-6. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  17. Hoh, Anchi (2022-01-19). "Epiphany and Timkat in Ethiopia: The City of Gondar Hosts Annual Epiphany Celebrations | 4 Corners of the World: International Collections and Studies at the Library of Congress". blogs.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.