Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is a Christian faith based in Egypt. It is in the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which are not officially tied to the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, or any Protestant religions. The Coptic Church does have some ties to the Eastern Orthodox Church, but it does not have an official connection to it. Other Oriental Orthodox family churches include Eritrean, Armenian, Syrian, Indian, and Ethiopian Orthodox churches. The word Coptic means "Egyptian."

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria remains the largest Christian church in Egypt. The church was once the largest religious organization in Egypt. By the mid-2010s, only about 10 percent of Egypt’s population was Christian, and as of 2016, an estimated 90 percent of Egyptian Christians were Copts. Throughout its history, the church has faced conflict, and members have left Egypt to escape persecution. Some people who fled continued to practice their faith elsewhere, spreading their beliefs to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The church has 1.5 million members in Alexandria, the traditional seat of the church; 4 million members in the capital, Cairo; 5 million in Upper Egypt; 2 million in Lower Egypt; and 2 million abroad. It has nearly three thousand churches worldwide.

History

Christianity first arrived in Egypt in the first century CE. Tradition says that Mark, the author of one of the Bible's gospels, traveled to the area. He spread Christianity in Egypt and was martyred there. Christianity then began to spread, and it became one of the most prominent religions in the region. Alexandria became a center of Christian learning and theology. The Greek patriarch, a high-ranking bishop in the Orthodox faith, lived in Alexandria from the fifth to the seventh century, and the Coptic patriarch lived outside the city. During the seventh century, however, the Arab invasion changed Alexandria and the number of Coptic Christians declined.

As the early Christian church began to spread, distinct groups began to form. To ensure that Christians maintained similar beliefs, members of the early church held ecumenical councils in which they discussed their beliefs and practices. The Coptic Church attended and agreed with the first three councils. The third council, the Council of Nicaea (held in 325 C.E.), was an important council because it developed the Nicene Creed, which is a statement of beliefs that many Christians—including Coptic Christians—still recite. However, the Coptic Church separated from other groups of Christians in the next century because it disagreed about the nature of Jesus’s being.

Although the Coptic Church had broken ties with a number of other Christian groups, it kept ties with Christians in Africa. Eventually, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was a daughter church of the patriarchate of Alexandria. In the twentieth century, the Ethiopian Church was granted its autonomy, but the two churches remain close and are both part of the Oriental Orthodox family of churches.

In the twentieth century, the lives of Coptic Christians in Egypt became even more difficult when Islamic fundamentalism became an important factor in the region. Thereafter, Copts and other Christians have been discriminated against, attacked, kidnapped, or even killed for their beliefs, and some have fled the region to escape the cruel treatment. People who left the region have practiced their faith in other lands, spreading Coptic Orthodox beliefs to other parts of the world. In the 2010s, some churches were closed for security reasons, and construction of new churches was hampered by the Muslim-majority government. Nevertheless, the Coptic Church remained the largest Christian church in Egypt, even though Christians were persecuted for their beliefs there.

Beliefs

The members of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria share similar beliefs of other Christians, particularly Eastern Orthodox Christians. Coptic Church members believe in the Holy Trinity, which means they believe that three entities—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God. They also believe that Jesus died to atone for humans’ sins.

Copts also share the Christian belief that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God and acts as a main point of reference for the Coptic Christian faith. Coptic Church members also believe that their faith has remained mostly unchanged since the time of the apostles, making it a true faith that will not change based on politics or current social trends.

Monastic life is an important aspect of the Coptic Orthodox faith. When the religion was first founded, it was one of the first Christian sects to have monks living in monasteries. These monks lived in the desert and could easily separate themselves from the outside world. Throughout the centuries, monasticism has remained an important part of the Coptic Church. As of the 2010s, roughly thirty-three Coptic monasteries were in use in Egypt, and monks who lived there practice agriculture and publishing.

The Coptic Church celebrates a Divine Liturgy similar to that celebrated in Eastern Orthodox churches. It can be celebrated in either Coptic (the ancestral Egyptian language) or Arabic, and it was originally based on the Greek liturgy. The Coptic liturgy was developed mostly in monasteries, therefore having many monastic elements.

From the 1950s onward, the Coptic Church has struggled with whether it is an apolitical, inward-facing spiritual organization or should engage in the affairs of the broader world. This theological debate has fueled dissension—and even violent disagreement—within the ranks of the monks.

Organization

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is headed by a pope. The pope is also the head of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. A synod is a group of bishops who help make important decisions for the church. Bishops are the next most powerful leaders in the church hierarchy.

The church’s clergy also includes priests and deacons. Monks and nuns are also members of the church. The members of the church who are not part of the hierarchy are the laity. The Coptic Church has a number of different dioceses around the world, including several in North America, but the church is headquartered in Egypt.

Bibliography

"About Us." Saint Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church. Saint Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church. Web. 10 July 2015. http://saintmarycoptic.org/aboutus.php

"The Coptic Church." Saint Cyril of Alexandria Coptic Orthodox Church. Saint Cyril of Alexandria Coptic Orthodox Church. Web. 13 July 2015. http://mystcyril.org/?page‗id=69

"Egypt 2016 International Religious Freedom Report: Executive Summary." International Religious Freedom Report for 2016, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, US Dept. of State, www.state.gov/documents/organization/269132.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan. 2019.

Farid, Farid Y. "A Theological Murder Mystery Is Rattling Christians in Egypt." The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/11/coptic-christian-monastery-murder-egypt/574597. Accessed 15 Jan. 2019.

McGucki, John Anthony, ed. "The Patriarchate of Alexandria." The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. 18–25. Print.

Roberson, Ronald G. "The Coptic Orthodox Church." CNEWA. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Web. 10 July 2015. http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=6&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1

"Who Are the Coptic Christians and What Do They Believe?" 89.3 KPCC. Southern California Public Radio. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/news/2012/09/13/9963/who-are-coptic-christians-and-what-do-they-believe/