Meskel in Lalibela (Swiss Stories 2015, by Christian Bobst) - Swiss Press Award
Watson.ch
Christian Bobst
With its eleven churches carved out of the rock in the 12th century, the Ethiopian city of Lalibela attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims every year. Along with Georgia and Armenia, Ethiopia is one of the three oldest Christian countries in the world. I visited the churches in Lalibela during the Meskel Festival, which celebrates the discovery of the cross of Jesus Christ by Empress Helena. On Meskel Sunday, priests take the legendary Lalibela Cross from its shrine to bless the pilgrims. During the ceremony, a priest rubs the golden cross on the pilgrims' chests and backs to cure them of illness or even exorcise the devil. The Lalibela Cross, which dates back to the 12th century, is considered one of the most precious shrines of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, where numerous early Christian traditions and customs are still very much alive.
