The friar advised the confessors to follow the message of Pope Francis: be merciful, understanding and be willing to listen and understand others.
They make up less than two per cent of the population but run more than 430 schools, most of them in poor, regional areas: the head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, says it is support from Catholics in places such as Australia that makes a brighter future possible.