Who are the Copts?
The name “Copt” is derived from the ancient Greek name of Egypt “Aigyptus” which is written with an “Epsilon”. If the prefix and the suffix are removed, the stem “Gypt” remains and is transformed into “Copt” in modern language. So the name Egypt as it is Hellenic, is believed to be derived from Ha-Ku-Ptah, the sacred appellation of Memphis the capital in the ancient hieroglyphic language of Egypt.
The Coptic Church is rich with her evangelistic and ascetic life, her genuine patriotic inheritance, her heavenly worship, her spiritual rituals, her effective and living hymns, her beautiful icons, etc. She attracts the heart towards heaven without ignoring actual daily life. We can say that she is an apostolic, contemporary church that carries life and thought to the contemporary man without deviation. One finds in her life, sweetness and power of Spirit, with appreciation to and sanctification of arts, literature and human culture.
The Coptic Church was the first to start monastic movement in all its forms and it is well known for her numerous saints: ascetics, clergymen and laymen. She offered many saints throughout the ages and is still offering the same today. The church believes that practicing the sanctified life and communion with God, the Holy One, is prior to satisfying minds with solid mental studies.
Beliefs of The Coptic Church
The Coptic Church has kept all the practices as set by the Apostles and the earlier fathers of the Church, e.g., liturgies, order of prayers, rites, and all aspects of the early Apostolic Church without any variation. The British historian Butler wrote in the preface of his book about the old Coptic churches saying “no fair and an unbiased person concerned with the teachings of the early church can compare between the order of our Western church today and the order of a church that has undergone no changes like the Coptic Church, without regretting the desertion of its rites and dogmas”.
The Coptic Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Trinity: God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit, are equal to each other in one unity (Deut 6:4, Isaiah 44:6-8, 1Cor 8:5-6, Matt 28:19, 1John 5:7, Matt 3:16-17); and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world. Little change has taken place in the Coptic Church than in any other church whether in the ritual or doctrine aspects and that the succession of the Coptic Patriarchs, Bishops, priests and Deacons has been continuous.
The Coptic Orthodox Church also believes in seven holy sacraments exercised by the fathers of the church (priests) who have been ordained by the prayers and the placing of hand of their bishops on them. They are unseen blessings given to the believers under seen signs and they have their utmost importance since they are necessary for the salvation and the receiving of the benefits of the Holy Spirit. These sacraments are: Baptism, Al-Myron (The Holy Chrism), Confession, Communion, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Priesthood.The Coptic Church is rich with her evangelistic and ascetic life, her genuine patriotic inheritance, her heavenly worship, her spiritual rituals, her effective and living hymns, her beautiful icons, etc. She attracts the heart towards heaven without ignoring actual daily life. We can say that she is an apostolic, contemporary church that carries life and thought to the contemporary man without deviation. One finds in her life, sweetness and power of Spirit, with appreciation to and sanctification of arts, literature and human culture.
The Coptic Church was the first to start monastic movement in all its forms and it is well known for her numerous saints: ascetics, clergymen and laymen. She offered many saints throughout the ages and is still offering the same today. The church believes that practicing the sanctified life and communion with God, the Holy One, is prior to satisfying minds with solid mental studies.
Who Founded The Coptic Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church was founded by St. Mark, one of the seventy Apostles (Mark 10:10) and one of the four Evangelists. The church is known as the Church of Alexandria and it is called the “See of St. Mark”. It is one of the earliest four sees: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. St. Mark is regarded by the Coptic hierarchy as the first of their unbroken 118 patriarchs, and also the first of a stream of Egyptian martyrs. St. Mark was a broad-minded Apostle. His ministry was quite productive and covered large field of activities including: (i) preaching in Egypt, Pentapolis, Judea, Asia Minor, and Italy during which time he ordained bishops, priests, and deacons, (ii) establishing the “School of Alexandria” which defended Christianity against philosophical school of Alexandria, and (iii) conceived a large number of great Fathers, and writing the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist which was modified later by St. Cyril to the liturgy known today as the Liturgy of St. Cyril.
The Coptic Church is rich with her evangelistic and ascetic life, her genuine patriotic inheritance, her heavenly worship, her spiritual rituals, her effective and living hymns, her beautiful icons, etc. She attracts the heart towards heaven without ignoring actual daily life. We can say that she is an apostolic, contemporary church that carries life and thought to the contemporary man without deviation. One finds in her life, sweetness and power of Spirit, with appreciation to and sanctification of arts, literature and human culture.
The Coptic Church was the first to start monastic movement in all its forms and it is well known for her numerous saints: ascetics, clergymen and laymen. She offered many saints throughout the ages and is still offering the same today. The church believes that practicing the sanctified life and communion with God, the Holy One, is prior to satisfying minds with solid mental studies.
Orthodox Creed
We believe in one God, God the Father, the Pantocrator, creator of heaven and earth, and of all things seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not created; of one essence with the Father by whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and on the third day He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He ascended into the heavens and sat at the right hand of His Father; and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. Yes, 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 worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And in one holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic Church. We confess one Baptism, for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Clergy
H.H Pope Tawadros II
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His father was an irrigation engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour. He received his bachelor's degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a manager in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health. His Holiness's life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children's festival as well when he was in charge of the children's committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books. His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches.
