Term Paper on Holy Water: Conditions, Practices, and its Role in Healing;

The Case of Entoto Kidane Mihret.

By: Bewket Dereje

1. Introduction
1.1. Background of the Study
The current medical model in health and wellness acknowledges the treatment of individuals as a
whole with a need of addressing the biological, psychological and social aspects of health.
Religious and spiritual healing practices are parts of treatment of individuals for psycho-social
illnesses (Singh 2009). According to Cockerham (2010), religious healing is undertaken for the
purpose of physical healing and to get personal comfort, to behave oneself and to be
strengthened for coping with experiences of suffering. Thus, religious healing could be used for
treatment of bio-psycho-social wellbeing of individuals.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity is one of the two dominant faith of Ethiopians (with Islam), and
affects every arena of people’s life including the social relationships, economic life and work,
political ideologies, and others, having its long history and close link with the imperial rule
(Abbink 2003). Health/illness behavior and medical practices have no exception, so that deeply
rooted with the religious and cultural belief of the people.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church preaches that diseases and other any kinds of misfortunes are
caused by Satan or evil spirits which comes when people behave/act in contrary or against the
will of God and when God wants to testify the strength of believers. Again, healing is also in the
hand of God through the followers’ practices of praying, fasting, confessions, taking advices of
priests, washing with holy water (tebel) and drinking it, using kiba-kidus and emnet. Holy water
is explicitly practiced and dominant form of faith healing and believed to be able to cure any

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disorders (Lauren 2007). It is also the most visited alternative medicine compared with other
traditional practices and modern medicine (Reniers and Rebbca 2009).

Using holy water for healing and cleaning purposes is common among Ethiopians based on
religious beliefs specially those of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians (Kahwa 2009). Holy water in
this church also used for the Sacrament of Baptism and purification purposes along with its
healing function. As of Oestigaad (2009) practice of healing through holy water is not found only
in Ethiopia and Christians. Research evidences assured that it is common in other African
countries such as Nigeria, and Western Christianity, and among Islamic followers. However,
what is peculiar in Ethiopia is, it is highly embedded with social and cultural beliefs people and
dogmas of the church.

1.2. Justification
Various studies have been conducted on alternative cultural, social and spiritual treatment of
health and illness both internationally and at local level. Holy water is studied as one alternative
therapeutic spiritual method for various diseases. Above all, its role on treating HIV/AIDS its
relation/contradiction with antire troviral therapy (ART), and mental disorders are addressed.
However, holy water is hardly studied as independent subject. Again, the conditions, practices
and roles of the holy water site at hand are under studied.

1.3. Objectives of the study

1.3.1. General Objective
The main objective of this study is to examine the conditions, practices and role of holy water in
healing of patients in Entoto Kidane Mihret Church.

1.3.2. Specific objectives

To assess the physical, social, demographic, and environmental condition of the holy
water site.
To describe the practice of healing of patients using holy water.
To examine the role of the holy water plays in treatment of attendants.

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 2. Research Methods
2.1. Study design
Taking in to account the time and cost of undertaking the study, the researcher used a cross-
sectional study design. The study is conducted within two weeks from April 25th up to May 10th.
Hence, the data was collected and analyzed at one point in time.

2.2. Methods of data collection

Key informant interview with coordinator of the holy water site was held to get detailed data on
the conditions, procedures, roles and types of healing services carried out in the place. In
addition, six beneficiary individuals were interviewed to understand personal experiences of
disease and remedial practices. Besides, the researcher undertook observation on physical, social
and living arrangements of the study area, and therapeutic practices to supplement the above
methods.

2.3. Methods of data analysis and interpretation

To facilitate the analysis, the collected data was first translated and transcribed in to English.
Then the data was coded thematically, and analyzed and interpreted with the actual situation and
the available literature.

3. Findings
3.1. Conditions of the Holy Water Site
Entoto Kidane Mihret Holy Water site is found in the highland of north-eastern edge of Addis
Ababa city adjacent the Entoto Kidane Mihret Monastery. The surrounding environment is
bounded with forest trees and newly emerged shanty town villages. The holy water is visited by
around 3000 average number of people per day with approximately 200 people newly
registration. This number could be increasing on holy days, and fasting months particularly
during Filseta, 15 days fasting on August.

The study reveals that there are so various factors that contributed for the high attraction of
people to ward holy water as an alternative medicine. Some of the major pushing forces are

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inability of and access to modern therapeutic services, affordability and financial costs of
treatment, and side effects of medication and drugs. On the other hand, free healing services and
care giving practices along with therapeutic tendency of holy water attract such large number of
people.

As of the researcher’s observation, and informants said, people from all socio-economic status,
both sexes, and all age categories even though most of them are adults, use the holy water for
spiritual therapy purpose.

The holy water site has no its own housing arrangement in its compound. The attendant people
live in rented houses in the nearby areas, and at the monastery. Others, the majority and the
Addis Ababa city dwellers return to their home after getting services. The latter one are
unaffected by the physical and social conditions of the hosted area of the holy water.

The physical and environmental condition of the holy water compound is conducive. It is
covered by various man made forest trees. The ground of the place is filled with flat stone and
concretes with its own sitting arrangements. Sewage disposal roots and tanker are parts of the
compound. Again, materials used for accumulation of holy water and drinking purposes as well
as pipelines are all sterilized. Therefore, the compound has little potential for being the cause of
environmental contamination and sources of infectious diseases.

However, the surrounding environment which is inhabited by people who are previously cured
from the holy and reside permanently, and those who are currently attending the holy water and
live in rented homes create multifaceted phenomenon. There is the formation of new community
which needs the attention of the policy makers to plan the town and provide social services and
facilities such as education, health service, water and sanitation facilities. Since, the majority of
the residents are migrants; the resident is highly impoverished and disorganized. These situations
could have adverse effect on the health, social and economic wellbeing of the people.

Moreover, the housing condition of those who are rented is at stake. Six or more number of
people share a single narrow room with very low quality. And toilet and other sewerage facilities

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are also unavailable. These problems accompanied with poor personal hygiene have the potential
exacerbating the disease of patients. Patients are victim of other infectious and communicable
diseases too.

3.2. Therapeutic Practices in the Holy Water Site

There are four separate rooms used for bathing purpose of the holy water. The priest assisted by
other care givers and adults who are cured by the wholly water and living there by giving free
services, undertake the washing practice (temeka). Therapeutic practices performed in the site
include bathing with the holy water and drinking it, anoint with holy ash (emnet), and using
Cross to bless people. These activities are convoy with prayer of all people involved and
preaching’s of religious scholars. All of these services carried out in the morning before 10:30am
with the possibility of extension up to 1:00 pm during fasting seasons. Again, in all cases, people
are expected not to take food until the healing process takes place.

3.3. The Role of Holy water in Healing

The holy water in the study area has the ability to cure any diseases including various forms of
disability, mental illnesses, and most of chronic illnesses. According to the data generated from
the key informant interview, disabilities such as blindness, dumb, paralyzed body parts and other
forms of disabilities are cured with the help of God.

Chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, and HIV/AIDS are curable based on the strength
and patience believers to relay on the mercy of God and Virgin Merry (Emebetachin, the key
informant uttered). The study by Zena Berhanu (2010), presented that the curative function of
holy water for HIV/AIDS as equivocal. However, it showed that the spiritual care is important in
changing the behavior and life of people who have HIV/AIDS such as improved appetite, ability
to increase spiritual commitment such as increased fasting and bowing, improved weight and
feeling strong. One case this study discloses that HIV/AIDS can be cured with holy water. The
life experience of an individual cured using holy water is presented as follow:
I was diagnosed HIV infected in 2008. I lost hope for my future life. My economic
and social life was totally disrupted. And I feared stigma and discrimination of

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 people in my surrounding and disappeared from my locality. Then, in 2009, I began
to find cure by visiting various holy water sites. After two years of staying in
different holy water sites, I was found HIV/AIDS free in 2011. This was happened
with the help of Virgin Merry. As a result, now I am here in this holy water to give
free service until Virgin Merry guides my worldly life to the right track.

Mental illness which is attributed as caused by evil spirits’ control over the mind of individuals
can be treated when the Priest washed the patient the help of the cross. According to the study
conducted in by Dejene (2013), faith healing like holy water plays essential role in solving
psycho-social disorders and mental illnesses. This study supports such argument by tracing from
the data generated from three interviewees who were mentally ill but now rehabilitated from
their illness and progressed to integrate with their work and community. One of those individuals
narrated his experience as follow:

I had heavy drinking habit and mental disorder. I disturbed my family members.
Again, I failed to perform my roles as a teacher too, because I couldn’t control
myself. Worst of all I didn’t know even as I was acting as I did. Then my family
members, my mother and sister brought me to this site and I began bathing with
holy water as well as other practices for five months. Now, I realized that I was
sick and disturbed my work and family. I am well now and even rehabilitated
from my alcohol addicted behavior. I will return to my work soon after I receive
sick live in this holy water site.

Besides, drinking of the holy water helps patients to wash away their stomach, so that the disease
could be banished out through vomiting. Others diseases respondents experienced and healed
through the holy water include heavy headache, hemorrhoid, and inner ear problems… just to
mention few.

In addition to its curative functions of visible diseases, the holy water plays important role in
terms of social support. It makes people’s life meaningful; they experience feeling of happiness,

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refrain from unhealthy behavior and activities such as drinking, smoking and extra marital sex.
These situations affect health and wellbeing of the people. The following interview result assured
the function of holy water other than curing diseases.

An 18 years old girl, with10+2 level of education, is one of the attendants of the holy water. She
came from surrounding rural area to attend her college education. She comes to the holy water
not for the purpose of alleviating specific ailment rather she consider it as part of her way of life
and, practices prayer, bathing with and drinking of holy water, and anointed with holy ash
(emnet). As a result, she said that, such practices give her a sense of wellbeing and feeling of
happiness.

4. Conclusion
The study was inspired to investigate the conditions, practices and role of holy water in the study
area. Accordingly, it comes up with the finding which assures the growing importance of holy
water as an alternative treatment of health and illness. The holy water site at hand has its own
effect on people’s life and the surrounding environment including community formation.
Treatment in holy water is not only about bathing drinking as literally seems, rather it is
accompanied with other practices such as blessed with cross, anointed with holy ash, prayer, and
preaching of holy Bible as well. The study also showed that holy water has a great contribution
in treatment of physical, psycho-social disorders and chronic illnesses.

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References
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Dejene Teshome. 2013. Persistence and Change in the Practice of Medical Pluralism in Addis
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Kahwa, Mary F. 2009. Health-Care Seeking Behavior among terminally ill adults in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia. University of the Witwatersrand: Unpublished Thesis.
Lauren, Anderson. 2007. Faith as a Means of Healing: Traditional Medicine and The Ethiopian
Orthodox Church In and Around Lalibela. Villanova University: Sacred Traditions and
Visual Culture.

Leiden, Abbink, J. 2003. A Bibliography on Christianity in Ethiopia. Leiden, the Netherlands:

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Singh, Harjot K. 2009. Health Care and Religious Belief. Alberta Health Services
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