TO ALL-AFRICA LUTHERAN CONFERENCE
We welcome to Our Capital
the delegates of the All-African Lutheran Churches and also those members of
the same Church who have come from the United States of America, Europe and
Asia. It is Our duty to be among you at this moment and to open your
conference.
It is gratifying to recall
that after nearly 1500 years of division in the Christian Church, venerable
Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches assembled together in this very Hall in
January of last year for deliberations on Christian Unity, the Spread of the
Teachings of the Gospel, and World Peace.
World
Church Leaders have also been frequently assembling in other countries to
discuss the responsibilities of the Church of Christ and how to execute them
efficiently in order to promote closer relations and co-operation among
themselves. It has given a sense of satisfaction to see that Christians and
their leaders, realizing the need for close relations and aware of their great
spiritual responsibilities have in our time come closer in the promotion of
their noble cause.
Peace,
universally heralded by the Angels at the Birth of Our Saviour, has become even
more necessary to mankind than ever before. The alternatives confronting the
Governments of today are no longer peace or war, but peace or the annihilation
and complete doom of mankind. Therefore, it has now become the noble
responsibility of Christians and peoples of other faith and their leaders
throughout the world to pray and to work hard for the preservation of world
peace.
It
is not an exaggeration to say that the spread of the teachings of the Gospel in
Africa by various Christian missionaries in the past centuries has served as a
guiding factor and instrument for the freedom and independence now enjoyed by
many Africans throughout this continent. As St. Paul said: “Where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is Liberty.” Many of the present day distinguished leaders
of the newly independent African States are men who received their education in
church schools and who, inspired by the teachings of the Gospel on human
freedom, succeeded in liberating their people after a patient and great struggle.
When We look back at this unchallengeable fact, We can clearly see that all
their tireless efforts and sacrifices in this glorious struggle were not in
vain.
Who
could tell that there is so much difference between different religious books
and the teachings of Christ as manifested in the works of the Disciples?
Although the Ethiopian people are among the first to receive Christianity and
have, with great sacrifices, protected and sustained their faith and human
rights, including their independence up to the present day, it is an
established fact that in the past hundred years foreign evangelist missionaries
have greatly assisted many thousands of Ethiopians. Moreover, it is also a fact
that they have brought up and educated many Ethiopians among whom We are happy
to see, many are placed in responsible posts and are serving their country with
diligence and devotion. Along with the missionaries’ assistance towards the
spread of modern education and the betterment of the health of the people,
their contributions towards the building of hospitals and the running of
clinics is not a matter to be overlooked. Besides teaching the Gospel, they
have also given all types of disinterested aid throughout the world. In the social
field, in morality, education, food and clothing, these missionaries have
stretched their helping hand to Africans, Asians and to other peoples of the
world.
Motivated
by the teaching of Christ and by the words of St. Mark “Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every creature,” We are happy to see that the
Lutheran World Federation has succeeded in building and establishing a radio
station in the capital of Ethiopia – the ancient island of Christianity – to
spread the teachings of the Gospel to the peoples of Africa and to those of
other countries. We thank the Almighty for the great services that the station
has been rendering to Ethiopians and other Africans in particular. It is Our
hope and wish that it will continue to be the light of the Gospel to many
people for many years to come. In its great task, Our support and that of Our
government has never been and will never be withheld.
We
do not believe that the religious and social problems that you members of this
conference are going to discuss are less significant that the political and
economic problems confronting the governments of Africa. However, since the
Holy Scriptures have taught us that everything can be accomplished by those who
have faith, We hope that your few days of deliberations here in Addis Ababa on
matters of spiritual and social problems will be successful through the
guidance and the power of Our Saviour. We wish you a pleasant time with your
Ethiopian brothers and sisters during your stay among them. May God Almighty
bless your deliberations.
Oct. 13, 1968.
Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie - page 641 -
HIM QHS The Centre of Life / Truth !!!
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