Before the 1974 revolution, Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity was Ethiopia’s national religion. The 1955 constitution recognized the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as the established church of the Ethiopian Empire and provided state support. The church supported both the state and the monarchy and became an important component of the ethnic identity associated with the Amhara and Tigray.

The extract describes the church as founded in the fourth century on the doctrines of Saint Mark. Ethiopian Christianity combines Christian beliefs with elements of animist traditions concerning spirits separate from physical bodies. Christ is understood as a divine aspect of the trinitarian God, while angels and saints carry prayers to God and perform divine purposes.

Church worship is structured around sacred space and priestly mediation. Only priests may enter the inner sanctum containing the ark of the church’s patron saint, while the ark itself—not the building—is considered sacred. On important holidays, priests carry the ark in procession, and the faithful participate under rules governing purity, fasting, and access to communion.

Fasting occupies a major place in Ethiopian Orthodox practice. The clergy and especially devout believers may observe a schedule covering 250 days each year, while church members are required to fast for 165 days, including Wednesdays, Fridays, and the seasons surrounding Lent and Easter. Holy days also include extended services with singing, dancing, and feasting.

Timkat is identified as the largest Christian festival in Ethiopia. It commemorates John’s baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, and sacred tabots—replicas of the Ark of the Covenant—are carried by priests into the central square of Gonder. The celebration culminates there in a mass baptism at Fasilida’s Pool, accompanied by chanting and prayer.