Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie
Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie MCCJ | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Addis Abeba | |
 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Ethiopian Catholic Archeparchy of Addis Abeba |
| See | Addis Abeba (Ethiopian) |
| Installed | 12 June 2026 |
| Predecessor | Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel |
| Previous posts | Titular Bishop of Cleopatris and Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Abeba (2024–2026) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 26 August 1995 |
| Consecration | 2 February 2025 by Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel |
| Rank | Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie 22 September 1969 |
| Styles of Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, MCCJ (born on 22 September 1969) is an Ethiopian Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Addis Abeba and head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church since 2026. Previously he served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archeparchy of Addis Abeba from 2024 to 2026. He is a member of the Comboni Missionaries.
Background and education
[edit]He was born on 22 September 1969 in Harar, Harari Region, Ethiopia. In 1986, he became a member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. He took his perpetual vows of the Comboni Missionaries on 1 November 1994. He was ordained a priest of that religious order on 26 August 1995.[1]
He studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, in Rome, Italy. He then studied at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, also in Rome, Italy, where he earned a Licentiate in Arabic and Islamic Studies in 2001. He undertook advanced studies in the Arabic language at the Dar Comboni Institute for Arabic Studies in Cairo, Egypt.[2]
Priest
[edit]On 1 November 1994 he took his perpetual vows as a Comboni Missionary. He was ordained a priest of the Order of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus on 26 August 1995 at Addis Ababa in the Ethiopian Catholic Archeparchy of Addis Abeba, in Ethiopia.[1][2]
As a priest, he served in various roles in different locations, including as:[2]
- Provincial Superior of the Combonian Missionaries in Ethiopia since 2005.
- President of the Conference of Major Religious Superiors of Ethiopia since 2005.
- Member of the General Councilor, Comboni Missionaries in Ethiopia since 2009.
- Coordinator of the Confederation of Conferences of Superiors and Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar since 2013.
- Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2022. Served in that capacity until 6 November 2024.[1][2][3]
Bishop
[edit]On 6 November 2024, Pope Francis appointed Reverend Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie as Auxiliary Bishop of the Ethiopian Catholic Archeparchy of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, and a Titular Bishop of Cleopatris.[4] He was consecrated and installed there on 2 February 2025 at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Addis Ababa. The Principal Consecrator was Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, Archbishop of Addis Ababa assisted by Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam, Archbishop of Asmara (Eritrean), and Bishop Abraham Desta, Titular Bishop of Horrea Aninici.[1][2] He was contemporaneously consecrated as Titular Bishop of Cleopatris.[1][2][4]
On 12 June 2026, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Addis Ababa, presented by Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M. Concurrently, he appointed Gebresilasie, who has been serving as the auxiliary bishop of the same see, as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa and head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 David M. Cheney (9 February 2025). "MicroData Summary for Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie M.C.C.J. (born 22 September 1969), Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Abeba". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Kansas City. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 CME. "Father Tesfaye Tadesse New Auxiliary Bishop Of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia". Comboni Missionaries Ethiopia (CME). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ↑ Missionari Comboniani (25 June 2022). "Father Tesfaye Tadesse re-elected Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries". Comboni Missionaries. Rome Italy. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- 1 2 Paschal Norbert (8 November 2024). "Ethiopia: First African Superior General of Comboni Missionaries Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Ababa". Cisa News Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ↑ "Rinunce e nomine, 12.06.2026" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 12 June 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
Succession table
[edit]External links
[edit]
- 1969 births
- Living people
- People from Harari Region
- Comboni Missionaries
- Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
- Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies alumni
- Bishops appointed by Pope Francis
- Ethiopian Catholic Archbishops of Addis Abeba
- Ethiopian Eastern Catholic bishops
- 21st-century Eastern Catholic bishops