August 18, 2005.

Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
The Vatican

Your Holiness,

These days the news is replete with Your Holiness’ admirable owning up to your country, Germany’s, previous crimes against humanity during the Nazi period. It is remarkable that you have taken such a courageous step so early in your leadership of the most populated Christian organization on earth. Your Holiness deserves every accolade for the step you have taken as it exemplifies the true role of a spiritual leader. I pray that current leaders will learn from your example.

The fact that Your Holiness has seen fit to promote the important concept of taking responsibility for crimes committed even in historic contexts gives hope to other peoples throughout the world who were victims of such atrocious acts. Here I am referring to heinous crimes committed by Fascist Italy which, as Your Holiness is aware, was responsible for the murder of thousands of Ethiopians on the eve of and during the Second World War. Of the thousands of Ethiopians murdered by the Fascists were my grandfather, Grazmach (Ethiopian title) Gessesse Fanta, and my uncle, Merid Gessesse.

The relevance of the above tragic episode to Your Holiness now is the fact that when the Fascist army was about to set sail on its murderous voyage to Ethiopia, the then head of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Pius XI gave them his blessing to go forth and commit their inhuman crimes. His Holiness declared, on December 20, 1926 that “Mussolini (was) the man sent by Providence.” On August 27, 1935, His Holiness declared that the fascist aggression against Ethiopia was a “defensive war”! (Manhattan, Avro, The Vatican in World Politics, 1949) It is ironic that the Pope was blessing his seemingly Christian army to go and commit crimes against innocent Ethiopian Christians. Ethiopians including myself have been waiting, in vain, for the type of apology that Your Holiness and the German people and government have so magnanimously expressed to the Nazi victims.

I feel sure that Your Holiness would not differentiate between the crimes committed by the Nazis and Fascists and their respective victims especially in the context of His Holiness Pope Pius XI’s direct responsibility for the tragic episode. Therefore, I plead with Your Holiness to finally enable Ethiopians to put the matter to rest by offering a full and formal apology to our nation for the unholy blessing given by Pope Pius XI to the Fascist Army which perpetrated heinous crimes against Ethiopians including the use of poison gas.

“Ethiopia shall raise its hands unto God.” (Psalm 68:31)

Yours respectfully,
Kidane Alemayehu

Kidane,

I am very proud that you took the initiative to raise this very important issue at the right level. I for one will support and help you in any way I can.
This issue is not just for the perished and Ethiopians of today but also for all the whole human race.

I am sure your aspiration is to achieve the full deserved response to the Ethiopian people and to the human race through a proper media

I can join you and exchange info. if need be - depending on your need for any on like me to directly communicate. I await your comments.
good luck

SA

Email: Semachewa@yahoo.co.uk

City: London

Ato Kidane Alemayehu,
I thank you and other Ethiopians who have taken the time to write letters to different groups and organizations. I hope in addition to your letter the Ethiopian Orthodox church and other Ethiopian evangelical Christian church leaders need to write to other church leaders. (May be, Pat Robertson will ask the US to takeout Meles.) And Ethiopian Muslims need to write letters to spiritual leaders as well.

We need to be aware that Meles’ supporters are writing letters to justify his criminal activities by falsifying and manufacturing stories. We need to get busy more than before.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but why in the hell are we writing a letter of appeal about an old Fascist, when we have a little local fascist at hand? Just wondering!

Ankasa Doro aka
Tengara Gundan aka
Mamo Qilo aka
etc

Kidane, there is time for every thing. Let's not forget the blessings Meles is getting from His Holiness Aba Paulos when ordering the killings of over 42 innocent Ethiopians immedietly after the rigged election, and many more in hundreds if not in thousands in the last 14 dark years. First thing first, let's stand up and expose our current enemies in our midst and fight for the voices of the Ethiopians to be respected. Let's not allow the Woyanes to snatch the votes of our people by election engineering. Let's do our share first and the rest will unfold whent the time is ripe.

City: San Jose

I sincerely admire your idea for taking the initiative to write the pope requesting his holiness for apology, regarding Italian crimes committed against Ethiopia, with the blessing of the head of the Roman catholic church at that point of time. It is disgraceful to see the so called heads of any religious organizations to bless the killings of innocent people, which is in total contradiction to the teachings of the bible. You know your inquisition to the pope's apology would have given you more leverage if the Ethiopian Orthodox Church joins you in this. I do not know about you, but I am very much disenchanted with the way the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is conducting its business with the murderous Meles' regime.
In the book of Matthew Jesus instructed His disciples to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Before the disciples set out to do what they have been ordered to do, Jesus warned them not take money from the patients for having cured them. The reason being that they were given such a power of healing from Him for free, and as such they have to perform the miracle of healing for free. However these days, church officials are doing their dirty work by collaborating with thugs to perpetuate their own pocket book, rather than following the teachings of the bible.

As Alemeye T stated above (May be, Pat Robertson will ask the US to takeout Meles.) Can you see how the so called church leaders who were supposed to be preaching the word of God have become themselves corrupt, and evil as their leaders. This is not the first time Pat Robertson have stepped out of his religious domain and offended religious communities. When Liberia's Charles Taylor was forced out of power by the US government, he became so incensed he tried to chastise the president of the US George Bush (current president) in saying that Bush had no moral authority to oust a leader of an other nation. He also threatened to bomb the gray building meaning the ( State Department). When president Mobutu Seko of Zaire, now (the Democratic Republic of the Congo ), was driven out of power, again Pat Robertson was inflame, getting angry with any one involved with his ouster from power. First I thought he was fighting for his religious conviction and as well as for humanitarian concern. I was dead wrong. The guy was not fighting for any body else's sake, he was fighting for losing millions of dollars worth of investment deals he had on diamond mining company in Zaire, and gold mining company in Liberia. Church officials are group of thugs who enjoy selling the bible for few bucks, rather than using the power of the bible to protect the innocent from corrupt officials.

Ethiopian Orthodox Church's officials are no different from Pat Robertson. They seemed to have forgotten the use of the bible as a weapon of shield and sword to come between the defenseless population, and the Meles' regime when he massacred, and wounded many innocent protesters.

Although I am not an expert in theology, from all indications it can't be difficult to surmise the church is failing its believers, by not adhering to the teachings of Christ and the bible in discharging its solemn responsibilities as a beacon of hope in times of tribulation and persecutions the country is experiencing since the May election. I hope when a new breed of archbishop is installed as the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, it might be easier for you to work with him to gain easy audience with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI to get what you wished for. Until then Ato Kidane don't give it up, although it is an up hill battle until such time comes. I wish you the very beast in pursuing what you planned on accomplishing.

Email: GebregzeeK@hotmail.com

City: southbrookeridge

Kidane,

Lead an effort to get Paulos out of the Ethiopian Orthodox Chrch. Let this one rest for a while.

Mamo Qilo

It is an excellent initiative.

Ato Kidane has not asked readers of his letter to stop exposing the crimes being committed against Ethiopians today. Let's support him with his initiative without slowing the campaign to address current problems at home. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Kidane, It is a great idea to write to one of the biggest church leaders in the world. Catholics have the highest number of members in the world and they highly respect and obey their pope. I hope the pope will be aware of what Meles has done.

About the Ethiopian Orthodox church Pope:
Meles wanted a Tigraye pope so he appointed Paulos as pope against the Ethiopian Orthodox church teachings. The Pope should have declined and go according to the church’s regulations and rules. As far as I am concerned Religion is like a permanent stain on the brain. The main thing is “treat others as you want to be treated”

Wondim Kidane,

Well said. I run out of words to thank you enough for bringing forefront one of heinous crime in history of mankind, but a kind brushed aside by the rest of the world.

Every time I am about to give up on any thing about that country of ours, motherland Ethiopia, people like you inspire me in keeping my hope alive.

I simply say thank you!

To begin with, I am wondering if the late Pontif has made any apologies for any Catholic wrong doing in Ethiopia, including blessing the facists to kill. If not it would only be the right time for the Catholic Church to make this long overdue apology to our country. The Catholic church should also repent for the greatest sin she committed for that matter.

However merciful God gave the Ethiopian people grace, wisdom, and bravity to win almost all kinds of battle waged by foreigners. When God is on your side, you don't need anything else other than to Glorify him for making your enemies bow down before you. I think that is what happened during the fascist italy occupation of Ethiopia. The scramble for Africa never worked when it comes to Ethiopia. Because Ethiopia streched its hands unto God and was saved, while Musolini did weld his sword and was defeated.

HITLER AND HIS GANGS COMMITED THIS CRIME AGANIST THERE
OWEN KINDS;WHITES AGANIST WHITES,AND THEREFORE AN
APOLOGY!
CRIMES BY WHITES ON BLACKS IS SOMETHING ELSE!WHERE WOULD THEY BEGIN I ASK YOU? IT IS STILL GOING ON!
DON'T WISH FOR WHITE ELEPHANT!

Email: messayewossen@yahoo.com

City: los angFORels

Ato Kidane,

No doubt it is a very great idea. I only say go for it. I wonder how many more intellegent Ethiopians are out there. This kind of coordinated, consitent and diplomatic approach was what we lacked for years. We have just started and it seems it is working. I appreciate ER and other similar media to bring issues like this one into everyones attention.

Anibal

Email: mmgelaw@yahoo.com

Ato Kidane,

Greetings!
It is an excellent initiative. It is a legitimate call for justice, a great reminder of the universality of humanity. A crime against humanity in Africa, Ethiopia, is also a crime against humanity, all children of god. What is right for Europeans is also right for Ethiopians.
The Pope owes Ethiopia an apology. The image of Pope Pius XI on a balcony giving his blessing to the army of Benito Mussolini is still vividly in our mind.
Great Job and I hope to the response you get.
Respectfully,
T.G.X.

Email: tguebrex@aol.com

City: Silver Spring, MD

Dear Kidane,

I appreciate what you are doing. However, I have the following predictions, although they may look remote.

Based on your idea, Meles or his delegate Aba Paulos may write a similar letter to the Pop in Vatican. One way of doing business in the Meles administration is to duplicate good things performed by others to cover their own sins or to hamper others from achieving sucess that do not not seem to serve their purposes or to take the good credit for themselves. If they do not involve themselves directly, they may ask you to work with/through them. If any of these things happen, what do you do? It is not a bad idea to think about these possibilities ahead of time. Good luck.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

can you please send a copy of kidane alemayehu's email to Paulos of the Arat kilo to help him re-discover the basic moral tenets of christianity, humility and guilt.

Email: mzenawi@hotmail.com

Ato Kidane,

I totally respect and support this great initiative. There is no reason to wait and postpond it to another time, it will anyways takes years to get heared by the Vatican. Knowingly or unkowingly some people seem to mix up here apple and orange; they are confusing the intent of this letter with Ethioia's current political problem. Others are concerned that Meles and his colleagues may hijack Ato Kidane's effort to score political credits. That can definitely happen in a way our religious leaders, some politicians, and businessmen became the forrunner to jubilate the return of the Aksum stelae and get recognitions, while infact the initial move dated back way before the reign of the current regime. But to me, this should not be an excuse not to support Ato Kidane's effort. Infact, I would not mind involving the aforementioned people in the process because it is a global issue and absolutely non-partisan. We are here talking about a controversial religious leader who not only supported Benito Mussolini's envasion of Ethiopia, but also endorsed the reign of Hitler. The Vatican has been defending the latter in various ways, but never said a word about us. We really deserve an apology.

Selam Le hagere

Email: bdemissachew@juno.com

Kidane,
What a marvelous idea you have brought up!
My grandfather was also killed,fighting in Shewa province, by a northern banda serving the Fascists.Those Fascists turned brothers agaist brothers and the present mess in Ethiopia is,to some extent, a continuation of that.
An apology to Ethiopia is a proper thing to do by the Catholic Church.

Email: zghiwet@yahoo.ca

Dear Ato Kidane:

Yes, many innocent Ethiopians have been murdered individually and/or massacred in mass during that time, as we learn from history and hear from our elders.

Let me add one issue of 39 individuals that were identified by the then Italian invaders as descenters and were summarily executed. Their remains have been put in a make-shift tomb at Dembi St. Ghiorgis Church, Illubabor.

I remember that on some of the skulls I could see straight-line breaks (that looked like broken using some tool of murder) - may be a sword (or may be a spade - as I was taught in my elementary school).

I also remember meeting an old lady that had gone insane and was living in the compound of that church, that she told me "thousands were killed" by the "Talyan". I later learned form an older person that she had lost her father, all brothers, and uncles during the occupation, that finally drove her to insanity.
This is only a very, very-small fraction of what must have happened all over Ethiopia. I personally grew more saddened, as time went on, by her story - as I perceived it only shallowly during my childhood.
I pray to God that he receive the souls of those victims.

Thanks for taking the initiative for writing this letter to his holiness, and hope that he will turn his face to this issue by the guidance of God.

If you would like to contact me, please do so using alemzel@yahoo.com.