Latest reports have revealed that the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church has been ousted from his office and officially placed under house arrest. The reports were received through Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Eritrean website Asmarino.com.

|TOP|Previously, the Patriarch Bune Antonios had been removed from effective control of the Patriarchate and was confined to ceremonial duties.

Antonios did not make an appearance at the recent Epiphany celebrations, which further added weight to circulating reports about his removal from office.

The Church’s administrative body, the General Synod had held secret meetings, following which, Antonios was allegedly informed that he had been dismissed, report CSW.

The meetings were convened by Yoftahe Dimetros, a government-appointed lay person who assumed administrative control of the Patriarchate in contravention of the church's constitution, which reserves membership of the Holy Synod to ordained Bishops and the chairmanship of the Synod to the Patriarch, revealed CSW.

More controversy was added to the situation after reports spread that Dimetros had convened a second meeting on Jan 20th to elect a new Patriarch – an act traditionally only undertaken by the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church.

|QUOTE|Compass Direct reports that Dimetros had also ordered for the Partriarch’s car to be confiscated and for the chauffeur to be dismissed.

The Patriarch is thought to have openly challenged the legality of the dismissal, and highlighted that he could only be removed from office if seriously ill, commits grievous sin or if he adheres to heresy. In addition, such a removal should only be carried out by the appropriate mandated church authorities.

Patriarch Bune Antonios has also attempted to highlight that those that had signed his arbitrary dismissal order had previously been excommunicated or suspended.

Antonios was ordained in April 2004 and since then he has been increasingly critical of the government’s continuous intervention in Church matters.

When the Patriarch allegedly objected to the detention in November 2004 of three Orthodox priests from the Medhane Alem Church, and accused the government of interfering in church affairs, for the first time ever the traditional Orthodox Annual Christmas message was not aired on national media in January 2005.

|AD|Following that, CSW report that his close advisor Marigetta Yetbareke was later forced to resign and was subsequently taken into detention.

Dimetros is said to have repeatedly clashed with the Patriarch as he attempted to coerce the Orthodox Church to adopt government inspired policies, reports CSW. Dimetros is also reported to have accompanied an Eritrean Bishop to Egypt to the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church in July in an attempt to persuade the Papacy to replace Patriarch Antonios with this Bishop.

The Chief Executive of CSW, Mervyn Thomas said, “It is deplorable that Abune Antonios has been illegally forced out of office by a government agent who has usurped the powers of the patriarch in contravention of canon law. He has been treated appallingly simply for opposing state interference in church affairs. We utterly condemn this latest addition to the sad litany of religious repression in Eritrea.

"Again, the continued harassment of the legitimate prelate of a government-sanctioned church illustrates in reality the government is attempting to curtail every expression of Christianity in Eritrea.”