# Abune Paulos (አቡነ ጳውሎስ)
Abune Paulos (አቡነ ጳውሎስ; 1936–2012) was the Fifth Patriarch of the [Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church](https://www.edgepedia.org/ethiopian-orthodox-tewahedo-church), elected in 1992 and leading it until his death in August 2012.[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459) His life traced the arc of Ethiopia's own turbulent decades: theological study in the United States, imprisonment under the Marxist Derg regime, exile in America, a contested election to the patriarchal throne after the Derg's fall, high-profile peace diplomacy during the Ethiopia–Eritrea border war, and a legacy that remained disputed between admirers who saw a reformer and peacemaker and critics who judged him too close to the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (መለስ ዜናዊ).[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Office | Fifth Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, 1992–2012[6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/) |
| Church size | 40 million members, about half Ethiopia's population, per the WCC and BBC; Paulos himself claimed 45 million faithful, 50,000 church buildings, and 500,000 clergy[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459) • [1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) |
| Imprisonment | Jailed by the Derg in 1976; in his own account for seven years, along with four other bishops consecrated without the regime's permission[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) • [4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) |
| Exile scholarship | Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary (1970); Ph.D. completed in 1988 on Marian teachings in the Ethiopian tradition[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612) |
| Peace work | Initiated Ethiopia–Eritrean religious-leader peace meetings in 1998, 1999, and 2000 after a border war costing 70,000 lives; Nansen Medal for Africa, 2000[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html) |
| Ecumenical role | Oriental Orthodox president of the World Council of Churches, 2006–2012[2](https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6228) |
| Death | Died August 2012, aged 76[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459) • [8](https://www.oca.org/news/headline-news/ethiopian-patriarch-abune-paulos-svots-alumnus-reposes-in-the-lord) |
## Education, consecration and imprisonment
Paulos was the son of a priest.[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) He studied at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States from 1962 to 1965, completing his [Master of Divinity](https://www.edgepedia.org/master-of-divinity) degree in May 1966.[8](https://www.oca.org/news/headline-news/ethiopian-patriarch-abune-paulos-svots-alumnus-reposes-in-the-lord) His connection with Princeton ran deep: he earned a Th.M. at [Princeton Theological Seminary](https://www.edgepedia.org/princeton-theological-seminary) in 1970 and began doctoral-level work there in 1972, spending almost twenty years associated with the institution across his life.[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612)
In 1974 he was recalled to Ethiopia for consecration as a bishop.[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612) The timing placed him directly in the path of the revolution. Patriarch Abune Tewophilos had anointed five bishops, Paulos among them, without the permission of the Marxist Derg military government; as a result all five were arrested and imprisoned, and the [Patriarch](https://www.edgepedia.org/patriarch) was eventually executed.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) In his own account Paulos was imprisoned in 1976 for seven years for his beliefs, followed by house arrest.[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) Sources differ on the dates: Paulos's Princeton dissertation adviser records six years of imprisonment and a release in 1982, while seminary and Horn Affairs accounts give release in 1983.[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612) • [4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/)
## Exile in the United States, 1983/1984–1992
After release he returned to Princeton, in 1984 by the seminary's account, to complete his doctoral degree, and began his life in exile.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) His adviser records that he established several Ethiopian exile congregations in the United States and Canada and finished his Ph.D. in 1988 after defending a dissertation on Marian teachings and practices in the Ethiopian tradition.[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612) In 1986, still in exile, he was elevated to the rank of [Archbishop](https://www.edgepedia.org/archbishop) by Patriarch Abune Takla Haymanot.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/)
## Election as Patriarch and the Merkorios question
The Derg government of [Mengistu Haile Mariam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mengistu-haile-mariam) was overthrown in May 1991.[6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/) Paulos was chosen in 1992, a year after that overthrow, having been jailed under Mengistu in the 1970s and then exiled in the United States.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459) His predecessor, Abune Merkorios, left the throne under disputed circumstances. According to Horn Affairs, Merkorios resigned following the Derg's overthrow, and the [Holy Synod](https://www.edgepedia.org/holy-synod) of the Church authorized a new Patriarchal election, which Paulos won and was enthroned as Fifth Patriarch in 1992.[6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/) The two sides told different stories: Merkorios's supporters claimed he was deposed by the new revolutionary coalition government, while his opponents maintained that the Patriarch abdicated following numerous protests against him by the faithful.[9](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/abune-paulos-religious-leader-and-peace-activist-8082407.html)
Legitimacy was contested for years. Merkorios and his supporters went into exile, establishing a rival synod in the United States, but the enthronement of Abune Paulos is recognized by all the canonical Orthodox Christian Churches.[9](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/abune-paulos-religious-leader-and-peace-activist-8082407.html) Amidst the ecclesial and political controversies gripping Ethiopia, his election and enthronement were recognized by the Coptic Patriarchate in [Alexandria](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandria).[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) Recognition did not end resistance: visiting the Ethiopian Community in London in 1993, those remaining loyal to his predecessor clashed violently with his supporters in their church in Mayfair.[10](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-unexpected-death-of-abuna-paulos_b_1827647)
## The church Paulos led: scale, property and relations
Estimates of the church's size differ by source. The [World Council of Churches](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-council-of-churches) states the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has a membership of 40 million, and the BBC reported that Paulos led Ethiopia's 40 million Orthodox Christians, half the population.[2](https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6228) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459) Paulos's own figures, given in a WCC interview and repeated by his seminary, were larger: 45 million faithful, 50,000 church buildings, and 500,000 clergy.[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) • [4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) He also situated the church in a continuous Jewish and Christian presence in Ethiopia exceeding 3,000 years.[1](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia) The church's institutional independence was comparatively recent: it fell under Coptic jurisdiction until Emperor Haile Selassie secured its autonomy, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church became autocephalous, or independent, in 1959, when Abuna Basilios became its first Patriarch.[11](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Basilios) • [7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html) • [10](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-unexpected-death-of-abuna-paulos_b_1827647)
A substantial part of his patriarchate dealt with the material aftermath of the Derg years. He recovered church property seized under Mengistu and led fundraising for the restoration of [Addis Ababa](https://www.edgepedia.org/addis-ababa)'s Holy Trinity Cathedral.[7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html) In 2000 he presided over the funeral of Emperor Haile Selassie.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) He also pursued the return of looted sacred objects, including ten tabots held by the British Museum that had been plundered by British troops in the 19th century; a tabot looted in the 1868 expedition was returned in 2002 after being found at St John's Church in Edinburgh.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html)
Diplomatically, he repaired relations within Oriental Orthodoxy. In 2007 he visited Egypt to meet Pope Shenouda III, re-establishing the relationship between the two churches after a time of separation, ending a long-running rift with the Egyptian Coptic Church; in 2008 he traveled to India to meet Catholicos Baselios Thoma Didymos I.[6](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/) • [10](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-unexpected-death-of-abuna-paulos_b_1827647)
## Peace work and honors
The border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, beginning in 1998, cost 70,000 lives by the Sydney Morning Herald's account.[7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html) Paulos led the initiative which produced a series of peace meetings between Ethiopian and Eritrean religious leaders between 1998 and 2000.[9](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/abune-paulos-religious-leader-and-peace-activist-8082407.html) His seminary records that he initiated peace meetings between religious leaders of the two countries in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and that in 2000 he was instrumental in brokering peace.[4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [7](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html) In recognition of his contributions to the protection and welfare of refugees he received the Nansen Medal for Africa from the [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-nations-high-commissioner-for-refugees) in 2000.[12](https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/ethiopia-congratulations-to-hh-patriarch-abuna-paulos-on-the-award-of-the-nansen-medal) • [4](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord) • [3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612)
His ecumenical standing peaked late in life. He served as an Honorary President of Religions for Peace and as one of the seven presidents of the World Council of Churches; following the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006 and up to his death in 2012 he served as the Oriental Orthodox president of the WCC.[3](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612) • [2](https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6228)
## References
1. ["We are here to serve all people" – Interview with WCC president Patriarch Abune Paulos of Ethiopia](https://www.oikoumene.org/news/we-are-here-to-serve-all-people-interview-with-wcc-president-patriarch-abune-paulos-of-ethiopia)
2. [Abune Paulos († 2012) | World Council of Churches](https://www.oikoumene.org/node/6228)
3. ['A Man of God is in this Town' (1 Sam. 9:6): Princeton Years of the Ethiopian Patriarch Abuna Paulos (1936–2012)](https://doi.org/10.17613/r22n-e612)
4. [Patriarch Abune Paulos, Seminary Alumnus, Reposes in the Lord | St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary](https://www.svots.edu/alumni-news/patriarch-abune-paulos-seminary-alumnus-reposes-lord)
5. [Ethiopian church patriarch Abune Paulos dies - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19285459)
6. [Abune Paulos: 5th Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church | Horn Affairs](https://hornaffairs.com/2012/08/17/abune-paulos-5th-patriarch-of-the-ethiopian-orthodox-church/amp/)
7. [Progressive patriarch brokered peace (Sydney Morning Herald)](https://www.smh.com.au/national/progressive-patriarch-brokered-peace-20120906-25god.html)
8. [Ethiopian Patriarch Abune Paulos, SVOTS Alumnus, reposes in the Lord - Orthodox Church in America](https://www.oca.org/news/headline-news/ethiopian-patriarch-abune-paulos-svots-alumnus-reposes-in-the-lord)
9. [Abune Paulos: Religious leader and peace activist | The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/abune-paulos-religious-leader-and-peace-activist-8082407.html)
10. [The Unexpected Death of Abuna Paulos | HuffPost Religion](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-unexpected-death-of-abuna-paulos_b_1827647)
11. [Basilios (britannica.com)](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Basilios)
12. [Ethiopia congratulations to hh patriarch abuna paulos on the award of the nansen medal (oikoumene.org)](https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/ethiopia-congratulations-to-hh-patriarch-abuna-paulos-on-the-award-of-the-nansen-medal)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Philosophy, religion, and mythology › Religion and spirituality › Religious biographies › Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Protestant, and early Christian bishops › Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic bishops › Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox hierarchs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license