Vatican City: In a powerful symbol of liturgical unity and cultural preservation, the Pontifical Ethiopian College in Vatican City unveiled a newly revised edition of the Ge‘ez-language Missal on Tuesday evening, drawing bishops, clergy, religious, lay faithful, and media into a moment of celebration rooted in ancient tradition.
The new Missal, which has been decades in the making, was introduced amidst a backdrop of soul-stirring liturgical chants in Ge‘ez—an ancient South Semitic tongue that remains the sacred language of worship for both Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholic and Orthodox communities. The presentation, held within the serene surroundings of the Vatican Gardens, marked a rare and poignant moment of collaboration between the two nations’ Catholic Churches, despite ongoing political divides.
Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, presided over the event and called the updated Missal a profound “instrument for prayer” and a testament to the Church’s enduring support for its Eastern traditions.
“This Missal is more than a book—it’s a vessel of spiritual survival and collective dreaming,” the Cardinal noted. “When you remove faith, music, and sacred movement from a people, what remains is an unbearable burden of imposed poverty.”
Cardinal Gugerotti emphasized that the new Missal represents the loving presence of God and the maternal tenderness of the Virgin Mary, offered afresh to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea through every prayer and chant inscribed within its pages.
For the first time, the Missal includes musical annotations for traditional chant, alongside instructions that the Eucharist be celebrated with freshly baked leavened bread—symbolizing the freshness and vitality of Christ’s Body.
Its creation involved commissions from both the Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholic Churches, making it one of the rare ecclesiastical collaborations between the two since political tensions strained diplomatic relations. Church leaders hailed the achievement as a hopeful blueprint for future unity.
Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin of the Adigrat Eparchy in Ethiopia called the Missal “a sacred bridge” for both nations. “Even in our darkest moments, the shared celebration of Mass brings joy, strength, and spiritual resilience,” he said. “Diversity is not a barrier—it is the fingerprint of God’s design.”
Speaking to Vatican News, he reiterated the enduring unity of the two Churches despite national boundaries: “Our liturgical life has never been divided. We remain one in spirit, prayer, and heritage.”
Bishop Kindane Yebio of Keren in Eritrea, also present at the presentation, revealed that the Missal took nearly 25 years to develop, drawing from ancient manuscripts and previous editions of the Ge‘ez Missal to ensure doctrinal precision and liturgical richness.
“This book will now unify our way of celebrating the Holy Mass,” he said. “For too long, variations separated our practice. This new Missal brings us together around one sacred text.”
The ceremony concluded with Cardinal Gugerotti officially handing over the completed Missal to the attending bishops, who will carry it back to their respective eparchies in the Horn of Africa.
Just days earlier, on May 14, Pope Leo XIV affirmed the essential place of Eastern rites within the universal Church during his address for the Jubilee of Eastern Churches.
“The Church needs you,” the Pope declared. “The treasures of the Christian East are a gift to the entire Catholic communion.”
The newly published Ge‘ez Missal now stands as a living testimony to that conviction—a sacred work that honors tradition, strengthens unity, and invites the faithful of Ethiopia and Eritrea to walk together in prayerful harmony.