Ethiopians gather on the street of Addis Ababa early morning to mourn as the body of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in the Addis Ababa , Ethiopia Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Meles, Ethiopia's long-time ruler and a major U.S. counter-terrorism ally who is credited with economic gains but blamed for human rights abuses, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in his East African country for weeks. He was 57. A European Union spokesman said that Meles died in Brussels. (AP Photo/Elias Asmare)
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Ethiopians gather on the street of Addis Ababa early morning to mourn as the body of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in the Addis Ababa , Ethiopia Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Meles, Ethiopia's long-time ruler and a major U.S. counter-terrorism ally who is credited with economic gains but blamed for human rights abuses, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in his East African country for weeks. He was 57. A European Union spokesman said that Meles died in Brussels. (AP Photo/Elias Asmare)
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Ethiopians carry posters in Amharic reading "Meles We Love You" as they gather to mourn as the body of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Meles, Ethiopia's long-time ruler and a major U.S. counter-terrorism ally who is credited with economic gains but blamed for human rights abuses, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in his East African country for weeks. He was 57. A European Union spokesman said that Meles died in Brussels. (AP Photo/Elias Asmare)
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FILE -In this riday Feb. 22, 2013, file photo large posters of late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi are displayed one of the street in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia's long-ruling leader died half a year ago, but it seems Meles Zenawi still holds on to power. In the capital, his face looks down from hundreds of posters plastered on walls, and government representatives vow to implement the late Meles' vision without alteration. (AP Photp/Elias Asmare, File)
Ethiopia elects new leader for Orthodox church
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia's orthodox church has elected a new leader of the influential body in the predominantly Christian nation.
Abune Matias, 71, was Thursday named the 6th Patriarch of the church officially known as the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Abune Matias, currently serving as Archbishop of the church in Jerusalem, accepted the appointment.
The election comes amid disputes surrounding the leadership of the powerful church, which boasts of some 40 million adherents, and a long history of conflict with the central government.
The Ethiopian church was under the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. In 1959 it broke away to be independent and started appointing its leaders.
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central government, orthodox church, coptic orthodox church, alexandria, new leader, religion, church, long history, sudan, ethiopia, patriarch, coptic orthodox church of alexandria, addis ababa, ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church, oriental orthodoxy, powerful church, abune matias, ethiopian orthodox tewahedo, predominantly christian nation, influential body, ethiopian church, eritrean orthodox tewahedo church
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