According to the website Ethiopia First (EF), false rumors and "putting words into the mouth" of Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Paulos have resulted in confusion around the net regarding the Patriarch's comments on the Ark of the Covenant.

Statement by Ethiopia First (EF)

"The purpose of His Holiness' trip was two-fold. First, as President of the World Council of Churches as well as Head of the most ancient church in Africa, he was invited to take part in the G8 Faith Group alongside world religious leaders which included Pope Benedict XVI in Rome from the 16th-17th June 2009.

Secondly, Patriarch Paulos was in Rome to officially open the "Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Week" in Rome on June 17th 2009. At none of these forums did the Holy Father say that EOTC will put on display the the Ark of Covenant. The Patriarch did, however, made repeated references about EOTC's fervent desire to build a state of the art museum "close to the abode of the Ark of Covenant" and solicited funds from Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia. And this is nothing new as the Holy Father, himself, had launched an International Appeal when he invited foreign Ambassadors to a meeting in September 2008 at his Patriarchate. This is quite understandable because the high cost of building a modern museum was deemed beyond the means of EOTC.

Most surprisingly, therefore, contrary to WorldNet's reportage, Patriarch Paulos - who already is in Addis Ababa - is not going "to make an announcement on Friday June 26th at the Hotel Aldrovandi in Rome." Nor is the slated state of the art museum going to be funded by The Acosta Foundation. My source added that the Patriarch is greatly saddened by the fact that he has been the victim of pure speculation on the part of irresponsible journalists. It is well worth noting, here, that Patriarch Paulos or any future Patriarch of Ethiopia does not have the spiritual or temporal powers to order the display to the public of the original Ark of Covenant. The centuries old fiat to maintain and protect the Ark of the Covenant away from the gaze of the public remains as done and dusted a matter under H.H.Paulos I, Patriarch of Ethiopia, as it had always been the case.

READ FULL STORY: EF