Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa

Holy Trinity Cathedral (Amharic: መንበረ ጸባኦት ቅድስት ሥላሴ), also known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie, is the highest ranking Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was initially built in 1931 under Emperor Haile Selassie before being disrupted by Italian invasion. It was completed in 1942 and built to commemorate the Ethiopian victory over Italian occupation.

It is an important place of worship in Ethiopia, alongside other cathedrals such as the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum. The cathedral is noted for burial place of prominent people who did greater achievements from Ethiopia.

The cathedral was established on 22 December 1931 under the guide of Emperor Haile Selassie. The construction was halted after Italian invasion of the country until 1942. Since then, the church was designated for commemoration of Ethiopian resistance fighters against the invasion.^[1] As with the building of any church, the construction of the cathedral was considered the spiritual duty of a person of wealth. Construction started with the blessing of a replica of the cathedral's Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. The cathedral has a threefold division modelled on Solomon's Temple: The outer ring is where hymns are sung by the congregation; the middle circle is where holy communion is given; and the innermost circle, accessible only by the priests, contains the Tabot. The cathedral is an example of a square church, circular churches being the most common type.^[2]

Holy Trinity Cathedral bears the title Menbere Tsebao ('Pure Altar'). It was built in 1942.^[3]

The cathedral complex also includes the 'Bale Wold' (Feast of God the Son) Church, which is also known as the Church of the Four Heavenly Creatures. This church served as the original Holy Trinity Monastery Church before the building of the cathedral and dates back to the reign of Emperor Menelik II. Other facilities include a primary and a secondary school, a monastery and the Holy Trinity Theological College, a museum and monuments housing the remains of those massacred in Addis Ababa by the Italians in 1937 in response to an assassination attempt against Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, Viceroy of Italian East Africa. In addition is the monument and tomb of the officials of the imperial government who were executed by the Communist Derg regime. Holy Trinity Cathedral is the official seat of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Addis Ababa. The Patriarchs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are enthroned at Holy Trinity Cathedral and all Bishops are consecrated there as well.

The church compound was the burial place for those who fought against the Italian occupation, or those who accompanied the Emperor Haile Selassie into exile from 1936 to 1941.

The emperor and his consort the Empress Menen Asfaw are buried in the north transept of the cathedral. Other members of the Imperial Family are buried in the crypt. The High Altar of the cathedral is dedicated to 'Agaiste Alem Kidist Selassie' (Sovereigns of the World the Holy Trinity). The other two altars in the Holy of Holies on either side of the High Altar are dedicated to John the Baptist and to 'Kidane Meheret' (Our Lady Covenant of Mercy). In the south transept of the cathedral is the chapel of Archangel Michael, which houses the Tabot of St. Michael the Archangel, which was returned to Ethiopia in February 2002 after being discovered in Edinburgh.^{[note 1]}

The tombs of Haile Selassie, Menen Asfaw, and other members of the Imperial Family are inside Holy Trinity Cathedral. Patriarchs, Abuna Takla Haymanot and Abune Paulos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, are buried in the churchyard, as is the famous British suffragette and anti-fascist activist Sylvia Pankhurst. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and other prominent Ethiopians are also buried there.

• Prouty, Chris (1994). Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia and Eritrea (2nd ed.). Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810826631.
• Prunier, Gérard; Ficquet, Éloi (2015). Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-84904-261-1.

• Briggs, Philip (2005). Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 166. ISBN 9781841621289.
• Carillet, Jean-Bernard (2013). Ethiopia, Djibouti & Somaliland. Lonely Planet. p. 36. ISBN 9781741797961.
• Powne, Michael (1968). Ethiopian Music, an Introduction: a Survey of Ecclesiastical and Secular Ethiopian Music and instruments. London; New York: Oxford University Press. OCLC 119443793.

• Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa at sacred-destinations.com
• A description of the re-consecration of the cathedral in 2025 from the Crown Council of Ethiopia
• The story of the Ethiopian Tabot from stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk