Father Tesfaye Tadesse Appointed Archeparch of Addis Ababa

The new Metropolitan Archbishop, a native of Harar, joined the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus in 1986 and was ordained a priest in 1995. He studied Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and obtained a Licentiate in Islamic Studies from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) in Rome. He also completed a formation programme at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

He served in parish ministry, was Director of the Comboni School in Haro Wato, in his home country, and held various positions within his religious institute, serving as Superior General from 2015 until 6 November 2024, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Addis Ababa. He received episcopal ordination on 2 February 2025.

The General Council and all the members of the Comboni Institute congratulate him and express their joy at this new and demanding ministry, assuring him of their continued affection and closeness. They also feel honoured by the Holy Father's decision and wish to assure Bishop Tesfaye of their constant prayers, that the Holy Spirit and the Heart of Jesus may sustain and guide him in the fulfilment of the mission entrusted to him.

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Cardinal Berhaneyesus' Retirement,
Elevates Auxiliary as Archbishop of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the retirement of Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel from the pastoral care of the Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa and has appointed his Auxiliary, Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie to shepherd the Archdiocese. The changes were made public by the Holy See Press Office on Friday, June 12 and announced by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia on the same day.

Born on 14 July 1948 in Tchela Claka in Ethiopia’s Apostolic Vicariate of Harar, Cardinal Souraphiel joined the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) and was ordained a Priest on 4 July 1976. After nearly two decades of Priestly ministry, he was appointed Prefect of Jimma-Bonga on 10 June 1994.

St. Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Abeba and Titular Bishop of Bita on 7 November 1997. He received Episcopal Consecration on 25 January 1998, from Paulos Cardinal Tzadua, then Archbishop of Addis Abeba. A few months later, on 16 June, 1998, he was named Apostolic Administrator of Addis Abeba.

On 7 July 1999, Bishop Souraphiel was appointed Archbishop of Addis Abeba, succeeding Cardinal Tzadua. Cardinal Souraphiel previously served as Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Mission in Ethiopia and held various pastoral and administrative responsibilities. During Ethiopia’s communist Derg regime, he was imprisoned for several months in 1979–1980, an experience that deepened his faith and commitment to reconciliation.

On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced that Archbishop Souraphiel would be created a Cardinal. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals during the Consistory of February 14, 2015, and assigned the titular church of San Romano Martire in Rome, becoming one of the highest-ranking Catholic leaders on the African continent.

Throughout his Episcopal ministry, Cardinal Souraphiel has served in leadership roles within the Church in Africa, including as President of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Episcopal Conference and Chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA). He has been a strong advocate for peace, dialogue, and reconciliation in Ethiopia, especially amid conflicts that have affected various parts of the country.

“Peace is the only way out of the problems for the people of Ethiopia,” Cardinal Souraphiel was quoted as emphasising in his 2024 Easter Message. In the message, he also said that peace of the cross includes all the values, the dignity of life, love, generosity, justice and mercy.”

In his Lenten message this year, the Cardinal called for Prayers for leaders and protection from disasters. In the message he issued on Monday, February 16, Cardinal Berhaneyesus said that the country’s current situation of conflicts in some regions also calls for prayers for peace and justice. “Let us pray that peace and justice may prevail; that our leaders may govern with wisdom; that we may be protected from various man-made and natural disasters,” he said.

The Cardinal also urged Ethiopians to remember prisoners in their prayers, that they may receive mercy, and encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in their faith through fasting and prayer during the challenging times. As Archbishop of Addis Abeba, Cardinal Souraphiel continued to shepherd the Ethiopian Catholic faithful while representing the Church in national and international forums. He participated in the 2025 Papal Conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV and remains one of Africa’s most respected Catholic voices on issues of peace, justice, and human dignity. Succeeding Cardinal Souraphiel is Bishop Gebresilasie who was born in Harar, a city in Eastern Ethiopia. 

The Archbishop-elect made his perpetual profession in the Religious Institute of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) in September 1994. He was ordained a Priest in August 1995 in Addis Ababa. The alumnus of the Rome-based Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a Licentiate in Theology, also holds a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome. He also pursued Islamic studies at the Dar Comboni for Arabic Studies in Cairo, Egypt, and attended a formation course at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

Bishop Gebresilasie was elected MCCJ Superior General during the 18th General Chapter in 2015; he was re-elected during the monthlong 19th General Chapter held in June 2022 at the Institute's General House in Rome. Earlier, he had served as MCCJ General Councillor responsible for Basic Formation and the circumscriptions of English-speaking Africa and Mozambique following his election to the General Council during the 17th General Chapter of 2009.

In November 2024, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ethiopia’s Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa to assist  Cardinal Souraphiel. He was Consecrated Bishop in February 2025. He was among the five members that Pope Leo XIV appointed to the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life in June last year.

Once installed, the Archbishop elect will become the fifth Local Ordinary of the Ethiopian Metropolitan See, which measures 31,224 square kilometres and has a Catholic population of 11,150, representing less than one per cent of the total population, according to the 2022 statistics.

Silas Isenjia – ACI Africa