ETHIOPIA: National Prayer Month Starts For Divine Intervention to Stop COVID-19
The Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia (IRCE) has launched a month-long national prayer pregame in response to curbing COVID 19 pandemic.
The Ethiopian Religious Council, which draws membership from various religions in the country, launched the prayer program on April 6, 2020 and is in effect in all parts of the country. The member religions include the Orthodox Tewahdo Church, Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, Ethiopian Catholic Church, Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Seventh Day Adventist Church, Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and Ethiopian Kalehiwot Churches.
The religious leaders have launched the event and called up on the faithful to vigorously pray for the grace of the creator to stop the pandemic. They further urged the public to maintain prevention and control measures strictly and stay at home by limiting movement as announced by government.
Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia attended the event and has appreciated the roles of the faith leaders. She delivered her message of support and called up on the public to fight the deadly virus with discipline.
Religious leaders, senior government organizations officials, distinguished representatives of local and International organizations took part in the launching ceremony of the prayer organized by the Inter Religious Council of Ethiopia.
The Inter Religious Council of Ethiopia said that the religious leaders will continue to lead prayers for thirty days and that the daily prayer shall be broadcasted on the State broadcaster’s channels and some private television stations. However, unlike in the previous years, the prayers will be followed from home. As such, the faithful do not have to go to church or mosque for reasons related to measures adopted by authorities to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to an update by the Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse on April 16, 2020, Ethiopia’s Coronavirus cases count had already risen to 92; 3 death reported;15 recoveries from the COVID-19; and the total number of tests conducted was 5389.
