International Journal of Development in Social Sciences and Humanities http://www.ijdssh.com (IJDSSH) 2020, Vol. No. 9, Issue 1, Jan-Jun e-ISSN: 2455-5142; p-ISSN: 2455-7730 THE IMPACT OF JESUIT INTERLUDE DURING THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ETHIOPIA: RISKS AND UNCERTAINITIES Bitwoded Admasu Dagnaw Assistant Professor of Civics and Ethical Studies Dean of Students, University of Gondar, Maraki Campus College of Social Sciences and the Humanities University of Gondar Received:15th January, 2020; Accepted:24th January, 2020; Published:28th February,2020 ABSTRACT The notion of Ethiopia as the land of Prester John inspired the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The Ethiopian orthodox church theologian initial contacts with the Jesuits led to the critical period for the 17th century practice and development of alien religious dissemination and conversion in Ethiopia in the 16th to the mid-17th centuries under the pretext of difficult military support relationship between Roman Catholic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The Jesuits were entrusted with the anticipated conversion of the Ethiopian Orthodox within the realm of Prester John from the Monophysite spiritual sphere. In 1520 the first Portuguese delegation reached Ethiopia which became sympathy to a most fascinating encounter between incomprable religions and cultures. The Ethiopian monarchial authority, this time, was under pressure to hamper state disintegration against the wat of Ahmed Gragn. In fact, the Portuguese armed co-operation with the Ethiopian monarchy paved the way for the Portuguese deliberate interests in their regional competition with the Ottoman Turks for control of the trade routes in the Red Sea and the North-Western quarter of the Indian Ocean. However, the Portuguese in collaboration with the Pope in Rome and the Jesuits had an additional intention of establishing an extensive mission in Ethiopia to encourage the people to change from their Orthodox faith to Catholicism. Initially, a Jesuit undertaking led by Father Andrés D. Oviedo first entered the country in 1557 to have started the conversion process. This research aims to assess the challenges and risks posed on the state and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Ethiopia by the Catholic Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. As a result to understand the impacts of the missionaries the study used qualitative research methodology. As for the techniques of data collection methods, the researcher used open ended questioner, depth interview at the Debre Libanos Azezo Teklahaymanot Monastery. In addition to these techniques of data collection methods, the research employed various religious Books and other related secondary sources such as archives in the aforementioned Monastery where the then Ethiopian theologians made a series of doctrinal debates with the Jesuits. The findings of the research revealed that the Jesuit ambition to implant Cathilicism remained in vain with a bloody war that claim thousands of human lives.Ultimately, the Jesuit missionaries expelled from the country. However, they left behind a theological controversy that gave it to local theme to Catholicism in Ethiopia that finally resulted in the doctrinal debate particularly centered on the teaching of the two natures of Christ. The intense doctrinal debate which was held during the 17thcentury Ethiopia hasten to the absence of strong centralized monarchial authority that eventually led to the era of the princes. Keywords: Orthodox, Catholicism, Jesuits, Missionary Mission 121 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES International Journal of Development in Social Sciences and Humanities http://www.ijdssh.com (IJDSSH) 2020, Vol. No. 9, Issue 1, Jan-Jun e-ISSN: 2455-5142; p-ISSN: 2455-7730 INTRODUCTION Sea and the north-western quarter of the Indian Ocean. 1. The Fundamental Relations with the Jesuit However, the Portuguese in collaboration with the Pope Missionaries in Rome and the Jesuits had an additional intention of establishing an extensive mission in Ethiopia to The notion of Ethiopia as the land of Prester John inspired encourage the population to change from their Orthodox the head of the Catholic Church. This was, for instance, faith to Catholicism. Initially, a Jesuit undertaking led by illustrated by Donald N. Levine in his works of Greater Father Andrés D. Oviedo first entered the country in 1557 Ethiopia. A medieval chronicler wrote that the pope was to have started the conversion process. beside himself with joy upon learning that an Ethiopian Ecclesiastical sources indicate that once the Jesuits embassy was on its way to Italy to attend the council of started visiting the royal court, where they participated in Florence in 1441. “When in the 1520s Europeans reached a number of theological discussions with the Orthodox the Ethiopian highlands to see for themselves, however, clergy. Previous they benefited from an optimistic gesture they found and described a civilization at about the same from the royal authority itself especially from Za Dingil level as their own. With keen admiration Alvarez and Susynyos. “The Roman Catholic Jesuits were allowed describes Ethiopian Architecture and painting and the to preach and their influence greatly increased despite the Ethiopian system of justice (Levine D., 1974:10). The fact that their unpopularity with the Ethiopian Orthodox Ethiopian orthodox church theologian initial relations and Church was unmatched” (Mikre Sillasie Gebre A., Seife th early contacts that led to the critical period for the 17 and Sillasie Y., Birhanu G., &Teshome Z.). According to th 18 century doctrinal debate goes back to the significant Greenfield, the Catholic Jesuit Pedro Paez started a school moment of the Jesuit interlude which was characterized for the sons of the nobility and taught the catholic by the practice and development of religious Catechism2 in Geez and he was called to the court and dissemination and conversion in Ethiopia in the 16th to succeeded in converting the royal leader Za Dengil. In the mid-17th centuries within the context of the difficult early in the 17th century Emperor Zä Déngil met the Jesuit military support relationship between Catholic and Pedro Paez to his court at Dankaz, who persuaded him to 1 Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. ‘The Jesuits were embrace Catholicism. entrusted with the anticipated reconversion of the realm Many of the literature witnessed Za Dengil curiously of Prester john from the Monophysite spiritual sphere. received Paez who used to teach catholic faith at Fremona Bishop Oviedo D. arrived in Ethiopia in 1557 and in and around Tigray. Ludolf describe the situation as although he remained a staunch upholder of the national follows, “In the Month of April 1604 accompanied with faith until the time of his death, Galadewos greatly two Portuguese youths, Paez, arrived at court, and he was enjoyed his theological arguments with Oviedo honorably received by the royal authority, as if he had (Greenfield, 1965:47). In 1520, the first Portuguese been one of the nobles of his kingdom, unlike the monks delegation reached Ethiopia, which became sympathy to who received him with great suspicion and a most fascinating encounter between uneven religions distrust”(Ludolf. H., Ludolphus J. & P. Gent, 2011:327). and cultures. At the time under discussion, the Ethiopian Subsequently doctrinal discussions and debates began, monarchial authority was under pressure to hamper state which the king was pleased both favorably and patiently disintegration. to hear the Jesuit way of argument and the Roman manner In fact, the Portuguese armed cooperation with the Sermon and Ludolf further explains the situation as Ethiopian monarchy paved the way for the Portuguese follows, “following the debate and preaching sermon Za deliberate interests in their regional competition with the Dengel was so taken, that having communicated his Ottoman Turks for control of the trade routes in the Red 1 The Society of Jesus is a religious order of the Catholic 2 A catechism is a series of questions and answers. Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded by Catholic children study a catechism as part of their Ignatius of Loyola with the approval of Pope Paul III in religious education; it outlines the principal tenets of their 1540. The members are called Jesuits. The society is faith. It outlines people's relationship to God, man's need engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 for God, and the importance of the scriptures and the nations. principles of the faith. 122 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES International Journal of Development in Social Sciences and Humanities http://www.ijdssh.com (IJDSSH) 2020, Vol. No. 9, Issue 1, Jan-Jun e-ISSN: 2455-5142; p-ISSN: 2455-7730 intentions to some of his close acquaintances that he later and, very importantly, converted his brother the Ras Sela submitted himself to the Catholic faith” (Ludolf. H., Krestos to Catholicism” (Mikre Sillasie Gebre A., Seife Ludolphus J. & P. Gent, 2011:327). Sillasie Y., Birhanu G., &Teshome Z., 2000). It has been said that the head of the royal army who was The monarch began showing great interest4 in the religion Dejazmatch Laky Maryam and the royal leader himself brought by the missionaries and developed aspirations to had been converted to the Roman Catholic Faith. replace the Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with Following that Abuna Peter excommunicated the Catholic Christianity. “When King Susényos acceded to Emperor. “Parallel to the secular nobles Dejazmatch Ze the throne, Paez often stayed at the royal camp. He acted Sellasie impelled the people against the Emperor by as the king’s special councilor and followed him on his preparing a revolt in Gojjam, where Za-Dengel, had many many journeys. It was largely due to the Jesuit’s insistence adherents. An armed conflict between these two sides was that Susényos converted5 to the Catholic faith in 1621’ inevitable and in 1604, at Barcha in Dembiya these two (Isabel, Pennec and Ramos, 2009). Susenyos’s shift armies faced each other”( Bartnicki A., & Mantel N., discontented mainly the clergy as clearly stated by Wallis, 2019).