The body and the spirit

Faith in Eritrea is ancient, profound and heartfelt, a faith that permeates the spirit and the body, one made of sacrifices and devotion, a faith that not even the economic conditions of the country and its political tensions were able to undermine. The Church in Eritrea is small, but it is a very active community that has one archdiocese (Asmara) and three dioceses (Barentu, Keren and Segheneiti). Comboni Sister Tensae, whose name means “resurrection” in Tigrinya, explains that Easter is undoubtedly the most heartfelt celebration, even more than Christmas. “It is an occasion that we experience in our entirety: body and spirit”, she says. For the Eritrean faithful, Lent is a journey filled with sacrifices. In accordance with the traditions of the Oriental Churches, the faithful completely abstain from eating meat and meat byproducts ...