Former Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Ethiopian tablet in Westminster Abbey to be repatriated

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey calls for sacred Ethiopian tablet in Westminster Abbey to be repatriated after branding it a ‘matter of faith’

  • A former archbishop has called for Westminster Abbey to return a sacred item
  • Lord Carey of Clifton wants to see Ethiopian Tabots returned to the African state
  • Tabots are seen by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as a sacred likeness to the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed by the finger of God
  • They cannot be seen by anyone other than a priest, and are redundant for display

A former Archbishop of Canterbury has called on Westminster Abbey to return a sacred tablet to Ethiopia after branding the issue a ‘matter of faith’.

Lord Carey of Clifton, 86, is understood to want the sacred object to be repatriated to the Horn of Africa after it was seized following the Battle of Magdala in 1868.

A Tabot, viewed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as a sacred likeness to the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed, sits inside the Lady Chapel in Westminster. 

The Ethiopian state has called for it to be repatriated, which may need to be approved by King Charles, because the Abbey falls under his direct jurisdiction.

Earlier this year, Lord Carey called for The British Museum to hand back its 11 sacred Tabots, which he said are ‘essential to Ethiopian worship’.

Lord Carey of Clifton, 86, has called on Westminster Abbey to return a sacred tablet to Ethiopia

Lord Carey of Clifton, 86, has called on Westminster Abbey to return a sacred tablet to Ethiopia

The former archbishop led the Church of England between 1991 and 2002, and called the repatriation a ‘matter of faith’. 

‘In the spirit of goodwill and decency, we ask for a conversation with the British Museum to take this forward. The issue is very much one of faith,’ he told The Telegraph at the time.

‘It is cruel to deprive believers of access to faith and tabots are essential to Ethiopian worship.’ 

The Tabot in the Lady Chapel sits in a cavity behind the altar. It cannot be seen by anyone other than a priest, in line with Ethiopian Orthodox beliefs.

This is respected by UK institutions, leading campaigners to argue that the sacred items are of no use for public display.

Ethiopian priests in Addis Ababa carry the Tabots, which cannot be viewed by anyone other than a priest

Ethiopian priests in Addis Ababa carry the Tabots, which cannot be viewed by anyone other than a priest

The Tabot in Westminster is considered to be a ‘Royal Peculiar’ because the abbey falls under King Charles’ jurisdiction not a Church of England authority.

‘Westminster Abbey is very aware of the importance and significance of the Ethiopian Tabot which we have in our care,’ a spokesperson for the abbey told The Telegraph.

‘It is kept in a very sacred place within the church, properly covered and hidden from view. We have no current plans to change these arrangements,’ they added.

National museums, including The British Museum, are not allowed to give items in their collection away by law.

The National Heritage Act 1983 blocks museums from selling items held for the public.

They can only be removed from a museum’s collection by trustees if they are a duplicate or permanently damaged.

This law does not apply to the Church of England, which can remove items if they are signed off by authorities in the church.

However the jurisdiction of the abbey may complicate any move to repatriate the Tabot.        

The Tabot in Westminster is considered to be a 'Royal Peculiar' because the abbey falls under King Charles' jurisdiction. Pictured, Ethiopian priests carrying Tabots in a processional march

The Tabot in Westminster is considered to be a ‘Royal Peculiar’ because the abbey falls under King Charles’ jurisdiction. Pictured, Ethiopian priests carrying Tabots in a processional march