Archbishop Abunda Yesehaq has stated that he baptized Jamaican music icon, Bob Marley. In a newspaper interview with Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq conducted by Barbara Blake Hannah on November 25, 1984, in the Gleaner’s Sunday Magazine, titled ‘Abuna Yesehaq Looks Back on 14 Years of Ministry in Jamaica,’ the Archbishop shared insights into Bob Marley’s baptism. He described Bob as “a good brother, a child of God, regardless of how people looked at him,” noting that Bob had a desire to be baptized long ago, but individuals close to him, aligned with a different aspect of Rastafari, controlled him. Despite this, Bob regularly attended church services. Archbishop Yesehaq recalled a poignant moment during Mass when he saw tears streaming down Bob’s face, indicating the singer’s deep spiritual connection. The Archbishop also mentioned Bob’s influence in promoting the Orthodox faith during his international tours, which drew many to the Church. Contrary to popular belief, Bob did not undergo baptism because he knew he was dying; instead, he chose to do so when there was no longer any pressure on him. When Bob was baptized, he hugged his family, and they wept together for about half an hour. In a subsequent interview on the JBCTV program “Profile” on July 9, 1995, Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq confirmed that he baptized Bob Marley in the presence of Bob’s wife, Rita Marley, and his children. He mentioned that Bob was not initially willing to have the baptism officially recognized, citing difficulties that he chose not to describe.
Below are “quotes” from two interviews with Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq on Bob Marley’s Baptism that appeared in the Jamaican Media.
Gleaner Interview
In a newspaper interview with Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq done by Barbara Blake Hannah,November 25, 1984, in the Gleaner’s Sunday Magazine (pages 2,3,11), titled ‘Abuna Yesehaq Looks Back on 14 Years of Ministry in Jamaica’ the following was said about Bob Marley’s baptism.
“Bob was really a good brother, a child of God, regardless of how people
looked at him. He had a desire to be baptised long ago, but there were
people close to him who controlled him and who were aligned to a different
aspect of Rastafari . But he came to Church regularly. I remember once while
I was conducting the Mass, I looked at Bob and tears were streaming down his face…When he toured Los Angeles and New York and England, he preached the Orthodox faith, and many members in those cities came to the Church because of Bob. Many people think he was baptised because he
knew he was dying, but that is not so…he did it when there was no longer
any pressure on him, and when he was baptised, he hugged his family and wept, they all wept together for about half an hour.” (This section below is from p. 11.)
JBCTV Interview
In an Interview the following year (9th July, 1995) on the JBCTV (now called TVJ) program “Profile” he was asked by host Ian Boyne about the bapistim of Bob Marley. Below is a clip from that interview
Ian: You baptized Bob Marley?
Yesehaq: I did baptize Bob Marley in the presence of his wife Rita Marley and his children. Only the family, because he was not so willing to have it officially, it was difficult for him…which I don’t want to describe.
