[1] His Sudanese father and Ethiopian mother married in Keren, Eritrea.
Both died of the plague leaving a two-year-old orphan to be raised in a Catholic orphanage.
He studied in Rome at the Pontifical Urban University, taught at the seminary in Addis Ababa, returned to Rome as dean of studies at the Ethiopian College, and founded the Ethiopian news service of Vatican Radio and worked there for two years until, in 1951, he was named secretary to the new Apostolic Exarch of Asmara, Bishop Ghebre Jesus Jacob.
[1][3][a] He received his episcopal consecration on 8 October from Asrate Mariam Yemmeru, Archbishop of Addis Ababa.
He made the restoration of the Ge'ez Liturgy, free of the influence of Roman Rite, a particular focus of his episcopate.