Italian Ethiopia religion and archaeology
Italian Ethiopia religion and archaeology
I am interested in learning about the Italian actions regarding the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and also regarding historical artifacts. Did the Fascists make any attempt to convert the Ethiopian to the Roman Catholic religion? Where any Ethiopian Orthdox sancturaries converted by the Fascists for their own use? I am aware that the Fascists brought back some archaeological artifacts as war trophies but was there any serious attempt to study the artifacts?
The Italian cultural interest for Ethiopia, besides the Jesuites, started already in the second half of the XIX century; after the occupation of Ethiopia there was almost an Italian version of the French (or, better, European) Egyptomany after Napoleon's expedition. But, unlike for Egypt, archeology in Ethiopia was still in its infancy, and thus the studies were merely started when WW2 broke out; some important artifacts were transported to Italy, as the Lion of Judah and one of the many obelisks of Axum.
The relations with the Ethiopian church were complex. The abuna Cirillo, at first, supported the Italians and was seriously wounded by the bomb of 19 Feb. 1937 (the one that wounded also Marshal Graziani), but then, because of his personal opposition to the creation of an indipendent Ethiopian church, moved to Alexandria of Egypt. Because of this, the Ethiopian bishops deposed him on 17 Nov. 1937 and proclaimed a Church indipendent from the Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria, whose new patriarch was the abuna Abraham, who had supported Italians. Other bishops and priests, instead, had opposed the Italian occupation and even actively helped the rebels; for this reason, for example, the abuna Petros was executed. But, to avoid further help to the rebels, Graziani decided that his daughter's wedding had to be made in an Ethiopian church and, as I've told, to fulfill the Ethiopian aspirations for a national church, and managed to get the support of priests who weren't favourable to Italy at first, as the abuna Isak. The new church had less economic power, because the Ethiopian people were finally exempted from paying taxes to it and its lands were expropriated. On the other hand, the priests got their wage from the govern, and the bishops had got not a few money (the abuna Johannes got 158,728 lire yearly, equivalent to about 120,000 Euro of today; abuna Isak 78,288 lire, about 60,000 Euro).
The religion that got the best support was Islam, thanks to the fact that its peoples were more favourable to Italy; it got new schools, new mosques (for example, the large mosque of Addis Abeba), etc.
The Catholic Church, thanks to the concordate of 1929, was the Italian state religion, but was not actively supported. The Italian govern wanted only Italian missionaries, thus many French ones had to be moved elsewhere. The Church was free to convert Ethiopians, but the results were meager: only 61,842 Africans of the whole Italian East Africa were Catholic in 1937, and of them 40,159 were in Erythrea. Anyway, many new missions, also with hospitals were opened.
The Protestan Churches were instead openly discriminated, and their missions, mostly made by English and Swedes, were closed.
Since 1936 some Jews proposed Ethiopia as a land that could be partially colonized by them, and they took care, without problems by the Italian govern, of the local Jews (Falashas). In Nov. 1938 Mussolini ordered a mission to Col. Adami: he had to find a region for the settlement of 1,400 Jewish families in Ethiopia. The colonel choose the area of Arero (about 8,000 sq.km), between Iavello and Neghelli, at 100 km from Kenya. But, without any apparent reason, AFAIK, in Jan. 1939 Mussolini changed idea and, instead of creating a Jewish colony, he told to Roosevelt (letter of 11 Jan.) that the only solution for the Jewish question was the creation of an indipendent state, and that only large countries like the USA, USSR or Brazil had free land for it.
The relations with the Ethiopian church were complex. The abuna Cirillo, at first, supported the Italians and was seriously wounded by the bomb of 19 Feb. 1937 (the one that wounded also Marshal Graziani), but then, because of his personal opposition to the creation of an indipendent Ethiopian church, moved to Alexandria of Egypt. Because of this, the Ethiopian bishops deposed him on 17 Nov. 1937 and proclaimed a Church indipendent from the Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria, whose new patriarch was the abuna Abraham, who had supported Italians. Other bishops and priests, instead, had opposed the Italian occupation and even actively helped the rebels; for this reason, for example, the abuna Petros was executed. But, to avoid further help to the rebels, Graziani decided that his daughter's wedding had to be made in an Ethiopian church and, as I've told, to fulfill the Ethiopian aspirations for a national church, and managed to get the support of priests who weren't favourable to Italy at first, as the abuna Isak. The new church had less economic power, because the Ethiopian people were finally exempted from paying taxes to it and its lands were expropriated. On the other hand, the priests got their wage from the govern, and the bishops had got not a few money (the abuna Johannes got 158,728 lire yearly, equivalent to about 120,000 Euro of today; abuna Isak 78,288 lire, about 60,000 Euro).
The religion that got the best support was Islam, thanks to the fact that its peoples were more favourable to Italy; it got new schools, new mosques (for example, the large mosque of Addis Abeba), etc.
The Catholic Church, thanks to the concordate of 1929, was the Italian state religion, but was not actively supported. The Italian govern wanted only Italian missionaries, thus many French ones had to be moved elsewhere. The Church was free to convert Ethiopians, but the results were meager: only 61,842 Africans of the whole Italian East Africa were Catholic in 1937, and of them 40,159 were in Erythrea. Anyway, many new missions, also with hospitals were opened.
The Protestan Churches were instead openly discriminated, and their missions, mostly made by English and Swedes, were closed.
Since 1936 some Jews proposed Ethiopia as a land that could be partially colonized by them, and they took care, without problems by the Italian govern, of the local Jews (Falashas). In Nov. 1938 Mussolini ordered a mission to Col. Adami: he had to find a region for the settlement of 1,400 Jewish families in Ethiopia. The colonel choose the area of Arero (about 8,000 sq.km), between Iavello and Neghelli, at 100 km from Kenya. But, without any apparent reason, AFAIK, in Jan. 1939 Mussolini changed idea and, instead of creating a Jewish colony, he told to Roosevelt (letter of 11 Jan.) that the only solution for the Jewish question was the creation of an indipendent state, and that only large countries like the USA, USSR or Brazil had free land for it.
specific artifacts
Thanks. What is the "Lion of Judah"? Is this a sculpture? Who selected the Axum obelisk and the Lion of Judah to be sent to Italy? Where can I find out more about this?
The Lion of Judah was a sculpure; it was placed in front of the Tiburtina railway station in Rome and returned to Ethiopia in the late 1960's.
I don't know much about the trasport of the obelisk of Axum to Italy; it was on the ground, broken into three pieces: Italians restored it and raised it on 20 Oct. 1937 in place Porta Capena, that now is in front of the palace of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. AFAIK it was Mussolini who ordered to transport an obelisk to Italy, but I don't know who choose it.
I don't know much about the trasport of the obelisk of Axum to Italy; it was on the ground, broken into three pieces: Italians restored it and raised it on 20 Oct. 1937 in place Porta Capena, that now is in front of the palace of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. AFAIK it was Mussolini who ordered to transport an obelisk to Italy, but I don't know who choose it.
Heres some current news involving the Axum Obelisk's last piece being returned to Ethopia.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... aitalyaxum
Chris
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... aitalyaxum
Chris
