Eritrea Makes Illegal Appointment of New Patriarch

In an indication of increasing government control of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, a renegade bishop has been declared its new Patriarch 16 months after the ordained pontiff was illegally removed from office, Christian Solidarity Worldwide has told Christian Today.

According to a report on the Eritrean website Asmarino.com quoting Orthodox sources in Asmara, Bishop Dioscoros was selected as Patriarch in the presence of government officials and other "reluctant" bishops who "took no part in the decision".

The Asmarino.com report indicates that Yoftahe Dimetros, a government-appointed lay-person who assumed the role of General Secretary of the Holy Synod in violation of the Church's constitution, is reported to have overseen Dioscoros' appointment.