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The 'Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria' (
Coptic: '' ''ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos ente alexandrias'', literally: ''the Egyptian Orthodox Church of Alexandria'') is the official name for the largest
Christian church in
Egypt. The Church belongs to the
Oriental Orthodox family of churches, and has been a distinct church body since the
Council of Chalcedon in
451 AD, when it took a different position over
Christological theology from that of the
Eastern Orthodox and
Catholic churches, then still in union. The precise differences in theology that caused the split are still disputed, and highly technical. They are mainly concerned with the Nature of
Christ. The foundational roots of the Church are based in Egypt, but it has a worldwide following.
According to tradition, the Coptic Orthodox Church is the Church of
Alexandria that was established by
Saint Mark, the apostle and evangelist, in the middle of the
1st century (approximately
42 AD). The head of the church, and the
See of
Alexandria, is the
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark, currently His Holiness
Pope Shenouda III. More than 95% of
Egypt's
Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, though other churches also claim
Patriarchates and
Patriarchs of Alexandria, among them:
★ The
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria,
★ The
Coptic Catholic Church of Alexandria,
★ The
Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem
History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Apostolic foundation
Egypt is identified in the
Bible as the place of refuge that the
Holy Family sought in its flight
[1] from
Judea: "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of
Herod the Great, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ''Out of Egypt I called My Son''" (
Matthew 2:12-23).
The Egyptian Church, which is now more than nineteen centuries old, regards itself as the subject of many prophecies in the
Old Testament.
Isaiah the prophet, in Chapter 19, Verse 19 says "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border."
The first
Christians in Egypt were mainly
Alexandrian
Jews such as
Theophilus, whom
Saint Luke the Evangelist addresses in the introductory chapter of his
gospel. When the church was founded by
Saint Mark during the reign of the
Roman emperor Nero, a great multitude of native
Egyptians (as opposed to
Greeks or
Jews) embraced the Christian faith.
Christianity spread throughout Egypt within half a century of Saint Mark's arrival in Alexandria as is clear from the
New Testament writings found in
Bahnasa, in Middle Egypt, which date around the year 200 A.D., and a fragment of the
Gospel of John, written in
Coptic, which was found in
Upper Egypt and can be dated to the first half of the second century. In the
second century,
Christianity began to spread to the rural areas, and scriptures were translated into the local language, namely
Coptic.
Contributions to Christianity
The Catechetical School of Alexandria
The Catechetical School of Alexandria is the oldest catechetical school in the world. St. Jerome records that the Christian School of Alexandria was founded by St.
Mark himself.
[2] Around 190 A.D. under the leadership of the scholar
Pantanaeus, the school of Alexandria became an important institution of religious learning, where students were taught by scholars such as
Athenagoras,
Clement,
Didymus, and the native Egyptian
Origen, who was considered the father of theology and who was also active in the field of commentary and comparative Biblical studies. Origen wrote over 6,000 commentaries of the
Bible in addition to his famous
Hexapla.
Many scholars such as
Jerome visited the school of Alexandria to exchange ideas and to communicate directly with its scholars. The scope of this school was not limited to theological subjects; science, mathematics and humanities were also taught there. The question-and-answer method of commentary began there, and 15 centuries before
Braille, wood-carving techniques were in use there by blind scholars to read and write.
The Theological college of the catechetical school of Alexandria was re-established in 1893. The new school currently has campuses in Alexandria,
Cairo,
New Jersey, and
Los Angeles, where
Coptic priests-to-be and other qualified men and women are taught among other subjects Christian theology, history,
Coptic language and art - including chanting, music,
iconography, and tapestry.
The Cradle of Monasticism and its missionary work
Many Egyptian Christians went to the desert during the 3rd century, and remained there to pray and work and dedicate their lives to seclusion and worship of God. This was the beginning of the
monastic movement, which was organized by
Anthony the Great, Saint Paul, the world's first
anchorite,
Saint Macarius the Great and
Saint Pachomius the Cenobite in the
4th century.
Christian
Monasticism was born in Egypt and was instrumental in the formation of the Coptic Orthodox Church character of submission, simplicity and humility, thanks to the teachings and writings of the Great Fathers of Egypt's Deserts. By the end of the fifth century, there were hundreds of monasteries, and thousands of cells and caves scattered throughout the Egyptian desert. A great number of these monasteries are still flourishing and have new vocations to this day.
All Christian monasticism stems, either directly or indirectly, from the Egyptian example:
Saint Basil the Great Archbishop of Ceasaria of Cappadocia, founder and organiser of the monastic movement in Asia Minor, visited Egypt around 357 A.D. and his rule is followed by the Eastern Orthodox Churches;
Saint Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin, came to Egypt, while en route to
Jerusalem, around 400 A.D. and left details of his experiences in his letters;
Benedict founded the Benedictine Order in the sixth century on the model of Saint Pachomius, but in a stricter form. Countless pilgrims have visited the "Desert Fathers" to emulate their spiritual, disciplined lives.
Role and participation in the Ecumenical Councils
Council of Nicea
In the 4th century, an Alexandrian
presbyter named
Arius began a theological dispute about the nature of Christ that spread throughout the Christian world and is now known as
Arianism (not to be confused with the racist Nazi ideology
Aryanism). The
Ecumenical Council of Nicea 325 AD was convened by
Constantine under the presidency of Saint
Hosius of Cordova and Saint
Alexander of Alexandria to resolve the dispute and eventually led to the formulation of the Symbol of Faith, also known as the
Nicene Creed. The Creed, which is now recited throughout the Christian world, was based largely on the teaching put forth by a man who eventually would become Saint
Athanasius of Alexandria, the chief opponent of Arius.
Council of Constantinople
In the year 381 AD, Saint
Timothy I of Alexandria presided over the second ecumenical council known as the Ecumenical
Council of Constantinople, which completed the
Nicene Creed with this confirmation of the divinity of the
Holy Spirit:
:"We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified who spoke by the Prophets and in One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church. We confess one Baptism for the remission of sins and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the coming age, Amen."
Council of Ephesus
Another theological dispute in the
5th century occurred over the teachings of
Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople who taught that God the Word was not
hypostatically joined with human nature, but rather dwelt in the man Jesus. As a consequence of this, he denied the title "Mother of God" ''(
Theotokos)'' to the
Virgin Mary, declaring her instead to be "Mother of Christ" ''
Christotokos''.
When reports of this reached the Apostolic Throne of
Saint Mark, Pope Saint
Cyril I of Alexandria acted quickly to correct this breach with orthodoxy, requesting that Nestorius repent. When he would not, the Synod of Alexandria met in an emergency session and a unanimous agreement was reached. Pope
Cyril I of Alexandria, supported by the entire See, sent a letter to Nestorius known as "The Third Epistle of Saint Cyril to
Nestorius." This epistle drew heavily on the established Patristic Constitutions and contained the most famous article of Alexandrian Orthodoxy: "The Twelve Anathemas of Saint Cyril." In these
anathemas, Cyril excommunicated anyone who followed the teachings of Nestorius. For example, "Anyone who dares to deny the
Holy Virgin the title ''
Theotokos'' is Anathema!" Nestorius however, still would not repent and so this led to the convening of the
First Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (
431), over which
Cyril I of Alexandria presided.
The
First Ecumenical Council of Ephesus confirmed the teachings of
Saint Athanasius and confirmed the title of Mary as "
Mother of God". It also clearly stated that anyone who separated
Christ into two hypostases was anathema, as Athanasius had said that there is "One Nature and One Hypostasis for God the Word Incarnate" (Mia Physis tou Theou Loghou Sesarkomeni). Also, the introduction to the creed was formulated as follows:
:"We magnify you O Mother of the True Light and we glorify you O saint and Mother of God ''(Theotokos)'' for you have borne unto us the Saviour of the world. Glory to you O our Master and King: Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the rejoicing of the righteous, firmness of the churches and the forgiveness of sins. We proclaim the Holy Trinity in One Godhead: we worship Him, we glorify Him, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us, Amen."
Council of Chalcedon
St. Mark Coptic Cathedral in Alexandria
When in
451 AD, Emperor
Marcianus attempted to heal divisions in the Church, the response of
Pope Dioscorus – the Pope of Alexandria who was later exiled – was that the emperor should not intervene in the affairs of the Church. It was at
Chalcedon that the emperor, through the Imperial delegates, enforced harsh disciplinary measures against Pope Dioscorus in response of his boldness.
The
Council of Chalcedon , from the perspective of the Alexandrine Christogy, has deviated from the approved Cyrillian terminology and declared that Christ was one hypostasis in two natures. However, in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, "Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary," thus the foundation of the definition according to the Non-Chalcedonian adherents, according to the Christology of
Cyril of Alexandria is valid.
In terms of Christology, the Oriental Orthodox (Non-Chalcedonians) understanding is that Christ is "One Nature--the Logos Incarnate," ''of'' the full humanity and full divinity. The Chalcedonians understanding is that Christ is ''in'' two natures, full humanity and full divinity. Just as humans are of their mothers and fathers and not in their mothers and fathers, so too is the nature of Christ according to
Oriental Orthodoxy. If Christ is in full humanity and in full divinity, then He is separate in two persons as the
Nestorians teach.
[3] This is the doctrinal perception that makes the apparent difference which separated the Oriental Orthodox from the Eastern Orthodox.
The Council's findings were rejected by many of the Christians on the fringes of the
Byzantine Empire, including
Egyptians,
Syrians,
Armenians, and others.
From that point onward, Alexandria would have two patriarchs: the non-Chalcedonian native Egyptian one, now known as the
Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of St. Mark and the "
Melkite" or Imperial Patriarch, now known as the Greek Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa.
[4]
Almost the entire Egyptian population rejected the terms of the Council of Chalcedon and remained faithful to the native Egyptian Church (now known as the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria). Those who supported the Chalcedonian definition remained in
communion with the other leading churches of
Rome and
Constantinople. The non-Chalcedonian party became what is today called the
Oriental Orthodox Church.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria regards itself as having been misunderstood at the Council of Chalcedon. There was an opinion in the Church that viewed that perhaps the Council understood the Church of Alexandria correctly, but wanted to curtail the existing power of the Alexandrine Hierarch, especially after the events that happened several years before at Constantinople from Pope
Theophilus of Alexandria towards Patriarch
John Chrysostom and the unfortunate turnouts of the Second Council of Ephesus in 449 AD, where Eutichus misled Pope Dioscoros and the Council in confessing the Orthodox Faith in writing and then renouncing it after the Council, which in turn, had upset Rome, especially that the Tome which was sent was not read during the Council sessions.
To make thing even worse, the Tome of Pope Leo of Rome was, according to the Alexandria School of Theology, particularly in regards to the definition of Christology, considered influenced by Nestorian heretical teachings. So, due to the above mentioned, especially in the consecutive sequences of events, the Hierarchs of Alexandria were considered holding too much of power from one hand, and on the other hand, due to the conflict of the Schools of Theology, an inpass was to be and there was a scape goat, i.e. Pope Disocoros.
It is also to be noted that by anathemizing Pope Leo, because of the tone and content of his Tome, as per Alexandrine Theology perception, Pope Discoros was found guilty of doing so, without due process, in other words, the Tome of Leo was not a subject of heresy in the first place, but it was a question of questioning the reasons behind not having it either acknowledged or read at the
Second Council of Ephesus in 449 AD. It is important to note that Pope Dioscorus of Alexandria was never labeled as heretic by the council's canons.
Copts also believe that the Pope of Alexandria was forcibly prevented from attending the third congregation of the council from which he was ousted, apparently the result of a conspiracy tailored by the Roman delegates.
[5]
Before the current positive era of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox dialogues, Chalcedonians sometimes used to call the non-Chalcedonians "
monophysites", though the Coptic Orthodox Church in reality regards monophysitism as a heresy. The Chalcedonian doctrine in turn came to be known as "
dyophysite".
A term that comes closer to Coptic Orthodoxy is
miaphysite, which refers to a conjoined nature for Christ, both human and divine, united indivisibly in the Incarnate Logos. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria believes that Christ is perfect in His divinity, and He is perfect in His humanity, but His divinity and His humanity were united in one nature called "the nature of the incarnate word", which was reiterated by
Saint Cyril of Alexandria.
Copts, thus, believe in two natures "human" and "divine" that are united in one hypostasis "without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration". These two natures "did not separate for a moment or the twinkling of an eye" (Coptic Liturgy of Saint Basil of Caesarea).
From Chalcedon to the Arab conquest of Egypt
Copts suffered under the rule of the
Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire. The
Melkite Patriarchs, appointed by the emperors as both spiritual leaders and civil governors, massacred the Egyptian population whom they considered heretics. Many
Egyptians were tortured and martyred to accept the terms of Chalcedon, but Egyptians remained loyal to the faith of their fathers and to the Cyrillian view of
Christology. One of the most renowned Egyptian saints of that period is
Saint Samuel the Confessor.
The Arab-Muslim conquest of Egypt
The
Muslim conquest of Egypt took place in AD
639. Despite the political upheaval, Egypt remained a mainly Christian land, although the gradual conversions to
Islam over the centuries changed Egypt from a mainly Christian to a mainly
Muslim country by the end of the
12th century.
[6]
This process was sped along by persecutions during and following the reign of the
Fatimid caliph
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned AD 996–1021) and the
Crusades, and also by the acceptance of
Arabic as a liturgical language by the
Pope of Alexandria Gabriel ibn-Turaik.
[7]
During Islamic rule, the Copts needed to pay a special tax called the
jizya in order to be defended by Muslim armies, as non-Muslims were not allowed to serve in the army. This tax was abolished in 1855.
From the 19th century to the 1952 revolution
The position of the Copts began to improve early in the 19th century under the stability and tolerance of
Muhammad Ali's dynasty. The Coptic community ceased to be regarded by the state as an administrative unit and, by
1855, the main mark of Copts' inferiority, the ''Jizya'' tax, was lifted. Shortly thereafter, Christians started to serve in the Egyptian army. The
1919 revolution in Egypt, the first grassroots display of Egyptian identity in centuries, stands as a witness to the homogeneity of Egypt's modern society with both its Muslim and Christian components.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria today
A modern Coptic monastery.
The current Coptic Orthodox
Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark is
Pope Shenouda III.
There are about 15 million Coptic Orthodox Christians in the world: they are found primarily in
Egypt under the jurisdiction of the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria (roughly 11 million). There are also significant numbers in the diaspora in countries such as
the United States of America,
Canada,
Australia,
France,
Germany, and
Sudan. The number of Coptic Orthodox Christians in the diaspora is roughly 4 million. In addition, there are between 350,000 and 400,000 native African adherents in East, Central and South Africa. Although under the jurisdiction of the Coptic Orthodox Church, these adherents are not considered
Copts, since they are not ethnic
Egyptians. Some accounts regard members of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (roughly 45 million),
[8] the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church (roughly 2.5 million), as members of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This is however a misnomer, since both the Ethiopian and the Eritrean Churches, although daughter churches of the Church of Alexandria, they are currently autocephalous churches. In
1959, the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was granted its first own Patriarch by
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria. Furthermore, the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church similarly became independent of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Church in
1994, when four bishops were consecrated by
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria to form the basis of a local Holy Synod of the Eritrean Church. In
1998, the Eritrean Church gained its autocephelacy from the Coptic Orthodox Church when its first Patriarch was enthroned by
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria.
These three churches remain in
full communion with each other and with the other
Oriental Orthodox churches. The
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church do acknowledge the Honorary Supremacy of the
Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, since the
Church of Alexandria is technically their Mother Church. Upon their selection, both Patriarchs (Ethiopian & Eritrean) must receive the approval and communion from the Holy Synod of the
Apostolic See of Alexandria before their enthronement.
In addition to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria whose adherents make between 92 and 93 % of
Egypt's total
Christians population of 11.8 to 12 million adherents. The country also includes Christian minorities that belong other
Christian denominations, which are:
★ The
Coptic Evangelical Church (a
Protestant Church) has between 150,000 and 200,000 members in
Egypt.
★ The
Coptic Catholic Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has between 243,000 and 275,000 members in
Egypt and roughly 50,000 adherents abroad. It is headed by the
Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria.
★ The
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria (an
Eastern Orthodox Church) has between 210,000 and 250,000 adherents in
Egypt, out of whom approximately 45,000 are of
Greek (Hellenic) descent. The Church has another 1.5 million adherents in
Africa, out of whom approximately 175,000 to 200,000 of
Greek Hellenic descent and the rest are native African converts (1.3 million). There are also between 10,000 and 15,000 ex-patriates in
Europe,
North and
South America. The current
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria is
Pope Theodoros II.
[9]
★ The
Melkite Greek Catholic Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has about 35,000 members in
Egypt. The eparchy of
Egypt is looked after by a
Protosyncellus, and has between 15,000 and 20,000 ex-patriates in
Europe,
North and
South America, and
Australia.
★ The
Armenian Apostolic Church (an
Oriental Orthodox Church) has between 15,000 and 20,000 adherents in
Egypt. Most of them follow the Holy See of
Echmiadzin in
Armenia, rather than the
Holy See of Cilicia in
Lebanon.
★ The
Roman Catholic Church has between 15,000 and 18,000 adherents in
Egypt. Most are citizens born in
Egypt but of foreign descent, like
Italians,
Maltese and
French, or members of the foreign Diplomatic Corps in
Egypt. There are very few native Christian Egyptians who adhere to the
Roman Catholic Church, and those who do (several hundreds) do so mainly through marriage.
★ The
Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East (a
Protestant Church known in
Egypt as the
Anglican Church) has between 10,000 and 15,000 members in
Egypt.
★ The
Maronite Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has between 9,000 and 11,000 adherents in
Egypt.
★ The
Armenian Catholic Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has about 6,500 adherents in
Egypt.
★ The
Chaldean Catholic Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has about 4,500 members in
Egypt.
★ The
Syriac Catholic Church (an
Eastern Catholic Church) has about 1,500 adherents in
Egypt.
★ The
Syriac Orthodox Church (an
Oriental Orthodox Church) has a very small population in
Egypt, numbering between 450 and 500. Most are students of the Catechetical School of Alexandria, or foreign students studying in Egyptian Universities.
Since the 1980s theologians from the Oriental (Non-Chalcedonian) Orthodox and Eastern (Chalcedonian) Orthodox churches have been meeting in a bid to resolve the theological differences, and have concluded that many of the differences are caused by the two groups using different terminology to describe the same thing (see
Agreed Official Statements on Christology with the Eastern Orthodox Churches).
In the summer of 2001, the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Alexandria agreed
[10] to mutually recognize baptisms performed in each other's churches, making re-baptisms unnecessary, and to recognize the sacrament of marriage as celebrated by the other. Previously, if a Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox wanted to marry, the marriage had to be performed twice, once in each church, for it to be recognized by both. Now it can be done in only one church and be recognized by both.
According to Christian Tradition and Canon Law, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria only ordains men, and if they wish to be married, they must be married before they are ordained. In this respect they follow the same practices as does the
Eastern Orthodox Church.
Traditionally, the
Coptic language was used in church services, and the scriptures were written in the
Coptic alphabet. However, due to the Arabisation of Egypt, service in churches started to witness increased use of Arabic, while preaching is done entirely in Arabic. Native languages are used, in conjunction with Coptic and Arabic, during services outside of Egypt.
Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate
Christmas on the 7th of January (
Gregorian Calendar), which coincides with the 25th of December according to the
Julian Calendar. The Coptic Orthodox Church uses the
Julian Calendar as its Ecclesiastical Calendar. It is known as the
Coptic calendar or the
Alexandrian Calendar. This calendar is in turn based on the old
Egyptian calendar of
Ancient Egypt. The
Coptic Orthodox Church is thus considered an Old Calendrist Church.
Christmas according to the
Coptic calendar was adopted as an official national holiday in
Egypt since
2002.
Coptic Orthodox churches around the world
Africa
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa
Asia
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in Asia
Australia and Oceania
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia
Europe
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe
North America
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
South America
★ See
Coptic Orthodox Church in South America
Official titles of the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa
The episcopal titles of the Pope of Alexandria
Main articles: Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
★ The leader of the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, is known as ''
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa on the Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle''.
★ His full title is
Pope and Lord Archbishop of the Great City of Alexandria and
Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Orthodox and Apostolic Throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Holy Apostle that is, in
Egypt,
Pentapolis,
Libya,
Nubia,
Sudan,
Ethiopia,
Eritrea and all
Africa.
★ The Successor of
St. Mark the
Evangelist, Holy Apostle and Martyr, on the Holy Apostolic Throne of the Great City of
Alexandria.
★
Pope of Alexandria, being the
Diocesan Bishop of the Great and Ancient
Metropolis of
Alexandria, that is in
Alexandria and the metropolitan province of Greater
Cairo.
★ Elder
Metropolitan Archbishop of the Egyptian Province.
★
Primate of
Egypt,
Pentapolis,
Libya,
Nubia and
Sudan.
★
Patriarch of All
Africa.
★ Father of Fathers.
★
Shepherd of Shepherds.
★
Hierarch of all Hierarchs.
Honorary titles of the Pope of Alexandria
★ The Dean of the
Great Catechetical School of Theology of Alexandria.
★ The Ecumenical (Universal) Judge (Arbitrator) of the Holy Apostolic and Catholic (Universal) Church.
★ The Thirteenth among the Holy
Apostles.
★ The Pillar and Defender of the
Holy,
Catholic (Universal),
Apostolic Church and of the
Orthodox Doctrine.
Historical evolution of the ecclesiastical title
The Bishop of Alexandria was first known just as the ''Bishop of Alexandria''. It continued to be so, until the Church grew within and all over the Egyptian Province, and many Bishops were consecrated for the newly founded parishes all over the towns and cities.
The Bishop of Alexandria, being the successor of the first Bishop in
Egypt consecrated by
Saint Mark, was honored by the other Bishops, as first among equals ''"Primus enter Pares,"''. This was in addition to the appropriate honorary dignity, which was due by virtue of being the Senior Bishop of the main
Metropolis of the Province,
Alexandria, which also the Capital and the main Port of the Province. This honor was bestowed by making the Senior Bishop an ''“
Archbishop,”'' thus presiding in dignity of honor over all the Alexandrine and Egyptian Bishops.
The appellation of ''“Pope”'' has been attributed to the Bishop of Alexandria since the Episcopate of
Heraclas, the thirteenth Bishop of
Alexandria. All the clergy of
Alexandria and
Lower Egypt honored him with the appellation ''“Papas,”'' which means “Our Father,” as the Senior and Elder Bishop among all bishops, within the
Egyptian Province, who are under his jurisdiction. This is because
Alexandria was the Capital of the Province, and the preaching center and the place of martyrdom of
Saint Mark the Evangelist and Apostle.
The title ''“
Patriarch”'' means the Head or the Leader of a Tribe or a Community. Ecclesiastically it means the Head of the Fathers (Bishops) and their congregation of faithful. This title is historically known as “
Patriarch of
Alexandria and all
Africa on the Holy Apostolic Throne of
Saint Mark the Evangelist,” that is “of
Alexandria and of all
Africa.” The title of “Patriarch” was first used around the time of the Third Ecumenical
Council of Ephesus, convened in
431 AD, and ratified at
Chalcedon in
451 AD.
It is to be noted that only the
Patriarch of Alexandria has the double title of 'Pope' and 'Patriarch' among the
Eastern Orthodox and the
Oriental Orthodox Thrones.
Jurisdiction of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria outside Egypt
Besides
Egypt, the
Church of Alexandria has jurisdiction over
Pentapolis,
Libya,
Nubia,
Sudan,
Ethiopia,
Eritrea and all
Africa.
Both the Patriarchate of
Addis Ababa & all
Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of
Asmara & all
Eritrea do acknowledge the supremacy of honor & dignity of the
Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria on the basis that both Patriarchates were established by the Throne of
Alexandria and that they have their roots in the Apostolic
Church of Alexandria, and acknowledge that
Saint Mark the Apostle is the founder of their Churches through the heritage and Apostolic evangelization of the Fathers of
Alexandria.
In other words, the Patriarchate of
Addis Ababa & all
Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of
Asmara & all
Eritrea are daughter Churches of the Holy Apostolic
Patriarchate of Alexandria.
In addition to the above, the countries of
Uganda,
Kenya,
Tanzania,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe,
the Congo,
Cameroon,
Nigeria,
Ghana,
Botswana,
Malawi,
Angola,
Namibia and
South Africa are under the jurisdiction and the evangelization of the Throne of
Alexandria. It is still expanding in the vast continent of
Africa.
Administrative divisions of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
★ 11
Metropolises with 10
Metropolitans (1 Vacant Metropolis).
★ 54
Dioceses in Egypt and outside Egypt with 51
Diocesan Bishops plus 2 Bishops shepherding a particular flock {the Eritreans} in the
United States of America and the
United Kingdom, while 3
Dioceses remain vacant.
★ 9
Auxiliary Bishops (1 in a
Diocese in
France, 2 in Dioceses in
Egypt and 6 assistants to H.H. the Pope in the
Metropolitan Archdiocese of
Cairo, which is directly under the responsibility of H.H. the Pope)
★ 5
Patriarchal Exarchs (2 In the
Archdiocese of
North America, 1 in the
United Kingdom and 2 in East and South Africa)
★ 9
Bishop Abbots of Patriarchal Monasteries, plus 2 Monasteries awaiting the nomination of its Bishop Abbot.
★ 7
General Bishops, including 3 Bishops heading Patriarchal Institutions, 2 Bishops Secretaries of H.H. the Pope and 2 General Bishops without portfolios.
★ 1
Chorbishop.
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
Main articles: The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is headed by the
Patriarch of Alexandria and the members are the
Metropolitans,
Bishops,
Chorbishops and Patriarchal
Vicars of the Church of Alexandria.
For the list of the members of the Holy Synod and their official titles see main article
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
Cathedrals
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Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
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Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria)
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Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya)
Monasteries
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Monastery of Saint Anthony
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Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great
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Monastery of Saint Mina
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Paromeos Monastery
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Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite
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Monastery of Saint Pishoy
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Syrian Monastery
See also
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Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
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List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
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Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
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Patriarch of Alexandria
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The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
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Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa
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Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia
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Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States
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Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
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Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe
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Coptic Orthodox Church in South America
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General Congregation Council
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Copts
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Coptic Saints
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The Catechetical School of Alexandria
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Coptic Orthodox churches
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Institute of Coptic Studies
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Coptic orphans
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Oriental Orthodoxy
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Christianity in Africa
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Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria
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Coptic Catholic Church
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Holy family in Egypt
References
1. Holy Family in Egypt
2. Coptic Church .net
3. Split of the Byzantine and Oriental Churches.
4. Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.
5. Romanides, John S. Leo of Rome's Support of Theodoret.
6. Kamil, Jill (1997). ''Coptic Egypt: History and Guide''. Cairo: American University in Cairo.
7. Kamil, op cit.
8. WCC official visit to Ethiopia World Council of Churches - News Release. 21 September 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
9. Pope Theodoros II
10. Official Statements on Christology.
External links
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The official Site for the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands & Affiliated regions, U.K.
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More Information on the Coptic Church, its Beliefs, Practices, and Liturgical Life
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Downloadable Coptic hymns, chants, songs, liturgies, live webcasts, and forum
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St. Mina (Menas) Coptic Orthodox Monastery in Mariut, near Alexandria, Egypt
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Coptic Church History at www.St-Takla.org
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CoptNet - The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt
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History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria - to 849 A.D.
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Agpeya: Coptic Book of Hours - also see
Canonical hours
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Severus of Al'Ashmunein (=Hermopolis), History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic church of Alexandria
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Coptipedia.com
Bibliography
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The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu: Translated from Zotenberg's Ethiopic Text, , , , Evolution Publishing, ,
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Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity, , Otto, Meinardus, American University in Cairo Press, ,
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Traditional Egyptian Christianity: A History of the Coptic Orthodox Church, , Theodore, Partrick, Fisher Park Press, 1996,
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Story of the Church of Egypt, , E. L., Butcher, Smith, Elder & Co., 1897,
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From Paris to Cairo: Resistance of the Unacculturated
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