The majority of the doctrines of the ancient Coptic and Syrian churches have been passed down to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. There are two types of baptism in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: triple immersion and commemorating Christ’s baptism in the Jordan. The church celebrates six sacraments. Refer to the attached copy of A History of Ethiopia for further information about the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The following information was given by a reverend of St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Toronto on June 22, 1994. One of the seven sacraments of the church is baptism. The remaining ones are Anointing of the Sick, Penance, Communion, Ordination, Matrimony, and Confirmation. The sacraments of Communion, Confirmation, and Baptism are administered concurrently. If conditions allow, the priest baptizes people in the morning. The individual is led to a pool or river, where they are “three times immersed in the water in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit.” In the absence of a river or pool, the priest is required to apply water to the head three times, making sure the water covers the entire head. This represents the complete saturation that arises from submersion in a river or swimming pool. It is recommended by the church that parents baptize their male newborns on the 40th day of their birth and their female infants on the 80th day. Adults must understand church doctrine, the Ten Commandments, the Seven Sacraments, and the before they can be baptized.
