War crimes and rebel bishops: Christmas celebrations marred by bitter split in Ethiopia’s ancient church

Tigray’s Debre Damo monastery, where monks have worshipped since the sixth century, can only be reached by a rope slung down the cliff Photograph: Fred Harter

Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monks have worshipped at the monastery of Debre Damo since the sixth century. Perched on a mountaintop in northern Tigray, the complex must be reached via a leather rope slung down a cliff that has been scaled by generations of worshippers.

At the edges of the mountain, monks recite quiet prayers as they gaze down at the surrounding highlands, alive with songbirds. Yet even here, the schism tearing apart Ethiopia’s 1,700-year-old church has split opinion.