ETHIOPIA: Pope Francis Appoints Vicar Delegate and Caritas Director of Meki as Bishop of Hawasa
Bezawit Assefa
On November 15, Pope Francis appointed Rev. Gobezayehu Getachew Yilma as Apostolic Vicar of Hawasa, Ethiopia. He previously served as the Vicar Delegate of the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki and Executive Director of Caritas Meki.
Born on December 4, 1978, in Dodola, Bale Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, Msgr. Gobezayehu initially studied agriculture at the Jima University of Agriculture. He joined the Capuchin Franciscan Institute in Addis Ababa in 1997, where he studied philosophy and theology. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Urbaniana Pontifical University in Rome.
Monsignor was ordained as a priest on January 16, 2005, by Bishop Abraham Desta, he first served as Secretary to the Bishop of Meki and Youth Coordinator for the Vicariate from 2004 to 2005. He later held roles as Deputy Secretary General and Secretary General of the Meki Catholic Secretariat from 2006 to 2009.
In 2009, Msgr. Gobezayehu pursued advanced studies in Ireland, obtaining a Master of Arts in Development Studies from Kimmage Development Studies Institute, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in Catholic Social Teaching from the Pontifical University of Maynooth, and later a Doctorate in Theology specializing in Catholic Social Teaching from Saint Patrick’s Pontifical University of Maynooth (2009-2015).
Returning to Ethiopia in August 2016, he was appointed Vicar Delegate of the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki and Executive Director of Caritas Meki in September 2016.
