Final Years
Abuna Basilios began to spend an increasing amount of time at the Debre Libanos monastery after his health began to fail in the early 1960s. He left more and more of his duties to Abuna Theophilos, and spent more time resting and praying at the monastery, rarely making an appearance at the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa or at the Imperial Court. He was too frail to participate in the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches held in Addis Ababa in 1968, and deputized Abuna Theophilos to represent him in most of its sessions.
Patriarch "Abune" Basilios, the first Patriarch and Catholicos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, died on October 13, 1970.
Following a state funeral at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, attended by the Emperor, the entire Imperial family, members of the Imperial Court and the government of Ethiopia, as well as the diplomatic corps and represetatives of various other Churches, Abuna Basilios was buried at Debre Libanos Monaster. He was succeeded by Abuna Theophilos as Patriarch of Ethiopia.
Read more about this topic: Abuna Basilios, Early Life
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