The Church in Abyssinia

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1, 2 January 1908, Page 15

The Church in Abyssinia

Apropos of the recent Abyssinian Embassy, to the Holy See it may be stated that two Capuchin' Friars who were martyrM in Abyssinia under atrocious circumttances in the 17th century— the blessed Agathange and -GassiaB — were quite recently beatified, and their intercession was solemnly invoked in every church and .chapel of the order throughout the world oh behalf of the mission for which they died. ; It is a very remarkable fact that from that time the fortunes of- the mission, which: is in charge of the Capuchins, began to improve. The Emperor -Menelik, who not so very long ssnces s nce was responsible for" a severe persecution of the Church in Ms dominions, selected one of the Fathers to convey his felicitations tp Pone -Pius X,' and in an autograph letter he assured his Holiness that he would do all that in him lay to protect and assist the mission. He has happily bpen as good as his word, and now the outlook for Catholicity in that most ancient Christian land is brighter than it has been for many centuries.