Date: January 15, 2006
To: Your Grace Arch Bishops, Bishops, Episcopes, Members of the Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church
I send you my spiritual greetings. Also, I acknowledge receipt of your letter, dated 13/1/2006 ( January 13, 2006 ) (FN1/225/41/98) informing me that you have removed me from my position as the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church .
The grave action that you have taken is illegal as it is in total contravention of the Constitution of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, the Canon of the Church, the guidelines enumerated in the Didascalia, the fit'ha negest (Law of the Kings), and the writings of St Clement. According to the above, which are the legal foundations of our church, a Patriarch, once consecrated, can be removed only under the following three specific circumstances: (1) grave moral failure, such as adultery (2) falling into heresy, or (3) physical and/or mental infirmity.
In this case, the false accusations that you have raised against me, and used for my illegal removal, are neither within the bounds of the legal framework of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church , nor substantive enough to merit the slightest consideration. The reasons for your actions can not be the result of your ignorance of the Canon of the church; it is rather because you have become a law unto yourselves. There is one thing that you need to be reminded of: No one can be above the law. Whosoever tries to trample the law underfoot will himself end up being trampled over by the law. More . . .
