Daniel Gebre, 34, drives a dilapidated Lada taxi. From his usual stand at Haya Hulet, he navigates his clients to different parts of Addis Ababa. He said business is slow these days, with customers opting for Ride, an Uber-style ride-sharing service. The coronavirus pandemic escalating in Ethiopia and overseas is making him wary. “We are being traumatized with this stuff,” he said. He feels this is God’s wrath at the prevailing sin of society in the nation and the only solution is to turn to Him “to deliver us from plague and from all harm.”

In a country where the overwhelming majority of the population claims a religious affiliation, Daniel’s words echo many other’s thoughts amidst the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. For many Ethiopians, plague, famine, natural catastrophe, and events of such kinds are part of a divine plan and are seen as punitive for evil deeds and a way for God to bring the faithful closer to Him.

The mobilization of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church this past week to organize a street cleansing program with incense burning and processions in front of hundreds of people in Addis Ababa and many other towns across the country, despite a government ban on mass gatherings, was a case in point. “Ethiopia is a deeply religious society and as such a ritualistic response or the resort to a concentrated prayer is understandable,” says Dereje Feyissa, a senior research advisor to the Life and Peace Institute, and adjunct associate professor at Addis Ababa University. “After all, the pandemic has instanced the crisis of modernity – despite technological sophistication and civilizational arrogance humanity is reminded of its limitation; a gap which spiritual schemes of interpretations often fill,” he analyzes.

Ethiopia has 16 confirmed coronavirus cases, if the government reports are anything to go by. The country has introduced restrictive measures to contain the virus’ spread by closing schools and large cultural and sporting events. But so far it has steered clear of applying similar measures for churches and mosques, places where many people gather closely together regularly.

Spirituality as a cure for coronavirus?

As there is no treatment the COVID-19 other than preventive measures such as social isolation and better hygiene, a wave of claims about how to prevent, treat and cure it has surfaced. Religious figures across the religious spectrum are recommending prayer and, faith healing as the remedy. While some rely on divine intervention, others count on traditional advice and folk-based practices, like garlic, seeds of feto (Lepidium sativum) and lemon, items that have seen a surge in demand since the beginning of the outbreak.

Despite the cancellation of large events and school closures, churches and mosques in the country are continuing their activities, some of them only encouraging maintaining reasonable distance amongst those who come to pray.

Videos and images coming out from charismatic churches show how they were filled to capacity with throngs of people, in apparent defiance of instructions from the medical profession. Of course, institutions that seemed to be concerned about the charges of inaction have made public declarations. For example, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has announced steps it has taken to help reduce dangers of the spread of the coronavirus. Though the measures included temporary suspension of «any spiritual assemblies, public preaching, and teaching, and trips to monasteries, and large meetings in which the laities participate », like other churches, such as the Egyptian Coptic Church, it has not altogether banned liturgical celebrations, eucharist, baptism, or sprinkling of holy water. The church simply recommended limiting the number of people who attend those services, organizing a designated time for the elderly and children taking the eucharist, urged believers to attend service with social distance maintained, and bring their own containers for holy water, according to a communiqué sent to media on Monday signed by Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Mathias. The Church has called for a cleansing program with incense burning and procession without a congregation physically present. However, photos and videos posted on social media showed several ceremonies held in Addis Ababa and other towns this week crowded with believers, sparking criticism from various sections of society concerned about the public’s apparent indifference and defiance of public health rules in the face of COVID-19. There are also alarms raised about church rituals such as kneeling and kissing the cross worn by a priest.

On March 21, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council also asked worshippers to perform prayers at home. The Council cited an edict that permits the abstention of Friday Jummah prayers, considering the harmfulness of the coronavirus. The council has said it is forbidden for anyone infected with or suspected to be infected by the virus to attend prayers and large gatherings, but in some places, believers defied the advice to join together in worship.

Andrew DeCort, an American scholar and researcher, acknowledges the public statements from senior Orthodox, Protestant, and Muslim leaders calling their communities to follow the health instructions of the World Health Organization and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. However, some consider these statements to be too late and too open-ended in their guidelines, he said.  

Celebrity evangelical pastors, it seems, are using the pandemic to sell their prosperity theology that claims God will protect and bless the faithful. A video making its way around social media shows Israel Dansa, a self-proclaimed prophet giving what he called the spiritual remedy to the coronavirus. (During which he struggles to pronounce the word coronavirus.) The Pastor is heard saying he experienced a vision in which “the Lord’s spirit put the coronavirus” on his palm (he is seen pouring droplets into his palms from a plastic bottle) and “when I uttered a word, I saw the virus drying up and dissipating like flour” spoken before of an ululating congregation. “This is dangerous creating a delusion about the magnitude of the threat posed by the pandemic,” says Dereje Feyissa.

“I also see major failing in the secular world which has shown shocking recklessness- such as political leaders still holding meetings or the failure to keep the social distancing protocol because of cultural reasons,” he adds.

It seems that Ethiopia’s strong sense of national exceptionalism convinces some followers that the coronavirus doesn’t apply to them.  

Several commentators raged about the «complacency » that could invite calamity in the middle of an epidemic.  Mohammed Girma, a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria and the author of Understanding Religion and Social Change in Ethiopia says, “complacency” might be the wrong term to use in this situation. “Religion is an important way of knowing and seeking solution for the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians. Disparaging them with elitist epithets will not be helpful. Clergies, medical professionals, the media and policymakers need to work on culturally relevant ways of communicating,” he says. “The faithful need to understand COVID-19 can be combated with both scientific and spiritual resources,” he adds.

Andrew DeCort observes that some are extremely offended by suggestions that Ethiopia could be affected and “it seems that Ethiopia’s strong sense of national exceptionalism convinces some followers that the coronavirus doesn’t apply to them”.  

“But others are taking the situation very seriously and doing everything in their power to raise awareness, aid public service efforts, and collect emergency supplies for our impoverished neighbors.”

A tension between science and conservative faith communities

For Andrew DeCort, the virus is exposing a deep tension – -even allergy – – in some faith communities’ response to science. « Many clearly see science as unspiritual. I have gotten numerous Facebook comments from Ethiopian Christians telling me that faith and science have nothing to do with each other and that connecting them is a dangerous mistake.”

DeCort, who is the director of the Institute for Faith and Flourishing, explains many Christians “fail to see the deep contradiction between (1) affirming that God created the world and (2) rejecting the rigorous study of how God designed the world. Thus, they call exclusively for prayer, fasting, and other spiritual rituals and, at best, see public health measures as a secondary matter.” However, he says, other Christians are raising their voice and defending the importance of science and the rich integration of faith and science that Christianity has historically celebrated.

Mohammed Girma also says that what is important in such times of crisis is “downplaying our ideology, however tempting it is, and highlight the aspect integrality between science and faith so people could draw resources from both domains.”

According to Mohammed, COVID-19 is a national security issue. “There is no ambiguity about this. Ensuring the safety of its citizens is the primary call of the state. The state, therefore, needs to use every resource available to keep its citizens safe.”

DeCort echoes the same sentiment. “The government should fulfill its primary duty of protecting the health and wellbeing of its citizens, even if doing so is unpopular among those suspicious of science and public health guidelines. The wellbeing of our neighbors is the most important and urgent embodiment of authentic faith.”

Gete Tadesse contributed reporting from Addis Ababa.

Editor Janet Lee

Main photo: A cleansing program with incense burning and procession Photo BBC Amharic

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. Please cite Ethiopia Observer prominently and link clearly to the original article if you republish. If you have any queries, please contact us at ethiopiaobserver@protonmail.com. Check individual images for licensing details.