Introduction

Coptic Orthodox Church

Pope Shenouda III during a 2007 visit to New York. Photo:

Michael Sleman
The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt, where it has between 6
and 11 million members.
While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has around a million members outside Egypt;
there are over 100 churches in the USA and a cathedral in the UK.
Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to
have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria. This makes it one of the
earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land.
The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent
persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country.
Modern Copts claim that they are still disadvantaged and play a lesser part in Egyptian public
life than their numbers justify. There are still occasional violent clashes between Copts and
Muslims.
Firsts for the Coptic Church include the first specifically Christian educational establishment
in the School of Alexandria and the start of Christian monasticism.

St Antony's Monastery, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451
AD) in a theological dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. This dispute
has been reassessed in modern times, and the differences between Churches are much less
severe.

The Coptic Church is led by the Pope of Alexandria, who is based in Cairo. The current Pope,
Tawadros II, succeeded Pope Shenouda III and is 118th in succession to Mark.
Coptic services take place in the very ancient Coptic language (which is based on the
language used in the time of the Pharaohs), together with local languages. The liturgy and
hymns remain similar to those of the early Church.
The Church is ecumenical in outlook, and was a founder member of the World Council of
Churches in 1948. The word 'Copt' comes from the Greek word 'Aigyptos', meaning Egyptian.
NB: The word Coptic is often used to refer to all Egyptian Christians, not just members of the
Coptic Church. This site uses the narrow meaning.
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Statistics
Statistics

Father Irenaeus of St Macarius Monastery, Wadi Natrun, Egypt

The Coptic Church is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, a group which includes the
Ethiopian Church, the Syrian Jacobite Church, the Syrian Church of India, and the Armenian
Church. The Oriental Orthodox Group has around 60 million members worldwide.

The Church in Egypt

At the end of the twentieth century Egypt's Copts were the largest Christian minority of any
country in the Middle East; estimates ranged from 6 to 11 million; 6% (official estimate) to
20% (Church estimate) of the population , the majority living in the Upper Egyptian
provincial capitals of Assiut and Minya, and in Cairo.
These numbers are partly the result of a Church revival in the 1940s and 50s in the form of the
Coptic Sunday School Movement.
Despite their numbers, Copts play little part in the running of Egypt;
Only one Christian has since been appointed provincial governor, and that was for a brief
period of two years in the remote governorate of North Sinai. Not one has since held a key

cabinet portfolio; not one has even been appointed mayor of a city or town. Currently, Copts
are sorely underrepresented in parliament, occupying only seven of 454 seats.
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Christians Oppressed, The Wall Street Journal, 18/11/2005
Copts in Egypt complain that they still suffer discrimination in the workplace and restrictions
on church construction. They are concerned that new electoral rules are benefiting Islamist
parties but not increasing Coptic political representation.

An Ethiopian Copt

The Church outside Egypt

The Coptic Church has expanded worldwide during the last 40 years and now has a million
members outside Egypt.
There are over 100 churches in the United States. There are two Coptic bishops in Australia
and more than 50 priests to serve the congregation. There are four bishops in the UK and the
first Coptic Cathedral in Britain was inaugurated at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre at
Shephalbury Manor in Stevenage in 2007.
There are churches in Switzerland and Japan, and four in Black Africa. In Libya there are
three churches, in Sudan two bishops, as well as churches in Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, the
United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
Coptic monasteries have been opened in Ireland, Texas, California, Sydney, and Jerusalem,
and new monasteries have opened in Egypt.
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Organisation, priesthood
Organisation
The Coptic Orthodox Church derives its spiritual authority to function from the Holy Synod
of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Such authority cannot be changed, altered, modified or
revoked. His Holiness the Pope of Alexandria is the head of the said Synod.
Amir Hanna, Doctrinal Theology, 1998

Pope Shenouda III during a 2007 visit to New York. Photo: Michael
Sleman

Pope
The Coptic Church is led by His Holiness Tawadros II (1952 - ), who was consecrated the
118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in November 2012.
The Pope is based in Cairo.
The Coptic Pope is not regarded as infallible or supreme.
The Pope is elected by a complicated process. Candidates must be at least 40 years old and
have been monks for at least 15 years. Following election, the names of the three candidates
with most votes are written on pieces of paper and one of them is picked by a child.

Holy Synod
The highest authority in the church is the Holy Synod, a body made up of the Patriarch,
metropolitans, bishops, khoori episcopos, abbots, and stewards of the Patriarchate.
The Holy Synod deals with spiritual, ecclesiastical, structural, management and financial
matters. There are seven subcommittees which deal with pastoral affairs, liturgical affairs,
ecumenical relations, monastic affairs, faith and ethics, and diocesan affairs.

Consultative Assembly
Ordinary Copts can take part in church affairs through the Consultative Assembly of Lay
Copts.

Priesthood
There are three ranks in the Coptic priesthood: Deacons, Priests and Bishops.

Deacons
Deacons help priests and bishops in their ministry. There are five ranks of deacon: Epsaltos
(hymnist), Ognostis (reader), Epideacon (subdeacon), Deacon (full deacon), Archdeacon
(leader of deacons).

Priests
There are three ranks of priesthood: Priest, Archpriest (hegomen) and Khoori Episcopos.
Priests must be married.

Bishops
Bishops are drawn from monks, and so must be celibate and not have been married. A
Metropolitan is the leader of group of bishops and the bishop of a large city.
The Patriarch (Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark) is the highest rank in
the church.

Women in the church

The Coptic Church does not permit women to be priests.
There are many things in the work of the priest which may not be suitable for women, for
example, baptising men. How can a woman baptise men? It is not easy. If she is a bishop and
ordains priests, that means that these priests will be subordinate to her, under her authority,
under her hierarchy or jurisdiction. This is contradictory to the teaching of the Holy Bible.
Pope Shenouda III, Homosexuality and Ordination of Women, 1993
The role of women is somewhat restricted: they don't read scripture aloud in church, and they
can teach children or other women or girls in Sunday School, but they do not teach men.
Besides being teachers of Christian Education in the Sunday School, women can be nuns,
members of parish councils, counsellors, administrators, and contribute to church
publications.
The early Church had women deacons but abandoned this in the 13th century. The Church
resumed the ordination of women as deaconesses in 1981 and there are now at least 400
consecrated deaconesses in the Coptic church. Traditionally, a deaconess is either a virgin or a
widow.
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Beliefs and schism

Beliefs and schism
The Coptic Church is one of the Eastern Orthodox churches and shares their general beliefs.
In 451 the Church split from other Christian churches in a major schism at the Council of
Chalcedon over the nature of Christ. The Coptic Church now forms part of the 'NonChalcedonian Orthodox Churches'.

In the last 50 years scholars on both sides of the dispute have worked hard to achieve a
common understanding of the nature of Christ.

Icon of Jesus feeding the multitude

Monophysitism/Miaphytism
Our church... believes in 'Miaphysis' which means the unity of the two natures of Christ (the
Divine and the Human Natures) into one nature of the incarnate God. The two natures never
separated and never changed each other.
Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern USA
The Lord Jesus Christ is God Himself, the Incarnate Logos Who took to Himself a perfect
manhood. His Divine nature is one with his human nature yet without mingling, confusion or
alteration; a complete Hypostatic Union...
... As this union is permanent, never divided nor separated, we say in the liturgy that His
Godhead never departed from His manhood for a single moment nor even for a twinkle of an
eye.
Pope Shenouda III, The Nature of Christ, 1999
The Coptic belief which defined the church at an early stage is called monophytism
(technically it would be better called miaphytism, but most documents use the former word).
To put it simply this is the belief that Jesus Christ has only one nature; that his divine nature
and his human nature are composite and totally united - the nature of the incarnated Word, as
opposed to two natures united in one person.
This single nature was formed 'from the first moment of Holy Pregnancy in the Virgin's
womb' (Shenouda III). The dispute over monophytism at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)
caused the Coptic Church to separate from other Churches. Other Churches also split, and
became known as the 'Monophysite Churches' or 'Non-Chalcedonian Churches'. Nowadays
these churches are usually called the 'Oriental Orthodox Churches'.
In modern times Christian Churches have come to a much closer understanding of the nature
of Christ, and this dispute is no longer so divisive.
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Holy book and language

Holy books
The Bible is, as you would expect, the basic scripture of the Coptic Church. The first
translation of the Bible into Coptic script is thought have been around the 2nd century,
although few early manuscripts survive.

Page from the Mudil Psalter, discovered in the Coptic cemetery of AlMudil in 1984 - the earliest complete psalter in the Coptic language
But the Bible isn't the only source of faith for Copts:
The basic source of the one faith is the Holy Bible.
The other sources are the sayings of the saints, the authenticated creeds of the holy councils,
and what was recorded in the Church books, especially the ritual books.
All these are in accord with the Holy Bible and are called as a whole 'Church Tradition'.
Pope Shenouda III, Comparative Theology
Copts don't believe that God actually wrote the Bible, but that God and the Holy Spirit
inspired the men who wrote down the words.
Pope Shenouda III also said that 'the Holy Bible does not mention everything'. For example,
not everything Christ taught was in the form of words - much of his teaching was contained in
his actions and his life.
Tradition is particularly important because it guided humanity from the time of Adam, long
before the first texts of the Bible.
Holy Tradition then is the part of our Holy Coptic Orthodox Church and Her teachings which
are not found in written form in the Holy Bible but which are genuine and have equal
authority and truth.
In order to be part of the Holy Tradition, a teaching must come from God and belong to the
teachings of Christ and the Holy Apostles, it must have been continuously taught and

practiced and kept alive by the Church, confirmed by the Ecumenical Councils and still exist
today.
Amir Hanna, Doctrinal Theology, 1998

Page from the Mudil Psalter

The language
The original language of Christians in Egypt was Coptic, which itself is a development of the
language of the ancient Egyptians.
Coptic was the main language of the Church until the 11th century.
Coptic is written with a mix of the Greek alphabet and Egyptian characters. Coptic is no
longer used in everyday life, but still has a place in Coptic liturgy, although Arabic has
become widely used. Coptic churches outside Egypt incorporate their local languages as
appropriate.
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Holy days
Holy days

Icon of the Crucifixion

The Coptic calendar is possibly the oldest in the world, being based on the calendar of the
ancient Egyptians. It has 13 months and is divided into 3 seasons; Inundation, Sowing, and
Harvest.

The Coptic Christmas is celebrated on January 7 (or 29 Kiahk - the fourth month of the Coptic
calendar), which has been declared an official holiday in Egypt.

List of festivals
This list is adapted from the Sunday School Curriculum of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of
the Southern USA. It gives dates in both the Coptic and Western Calendars for fixed festivals.

The seven Major Feasts of our Lord

The Annunciation (Paramhat 29, c. April 7)

The Nativity of Christ (Christmas, Kiahk 29, c. January 7)

The Theophany or the Baptism of Christ (Tuba 11, c. January 19)

Palm Sunday

The Feast of the Resurrection: It is preceded by the Great Lent (55 days) and is
considered by the Coptic Church as "The Feast."

Ascension

Pentecost

The seven Minor Feasts of our Lord

The Circumcision of our Lord (Tuba 6, c. 14 January)

The Entrance of our Lord into the Temple (Amshir 8, c. February 15)

The Escape of the Holy family to Egypt (Pashans 24, c. June 1)

The First Miracle of our Lord Jesus at Cana Galilee (Tuba 13, c. January 12)

The Transfiguration of Christ (Messra 13; c. August 19)

Maundy Thursday

Thomas' Sunday: The Sunday after Easter

Monthly feasts

The Church celebrates the commemoration of the Annunciation, Nativity and

Resurrection of Christ on the 29th of every Coptic month
The commemoration of St. Mary is celebrated on the 21st

The feast of Archangel Michael is celebrated on the 12th of every month

Weekly feasts
Every Sunday stands as a true Sabbath (day of rest). There is no abstention from food on
Sundays after the celebration of the Eucharist, even during Great Lent.

Icon of St Macarius at the monastery bearing his name

Feasts of the Saints

Every day of the year is a feast, so that the believers may live in perpetual joy and in
communion with the saints. In addition there are other special fasts and occasions:

The Feasts of St. Mary:

o The annunciation of her birth (Messra 7, c. August 13)
o

Her Nativity (Pashans 1, c. May 9)

Her Presentation into the Temple (Kiahk 3, c. December 12)

Her Dormant (Tuba 21, c. January 29)

The Ascension of her body (Paona 21, c. June 28)

Her apparition over the Church of Zeitoon (Paramhat 24, c. April 2)

The apparition of her body to the Apostles (Messra 16, c. August 22)

The Apostles' Feast (Abib 5, c. July 12)

The Nayrouz Feast (1st of Tute, c. September 11)

The Two Feasts of the Cross:

o

The first feast is on Tute 17 (c. September 27)

The second feast is on Paramhat 10 (c. March 19)

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Worship, spiritual practice

Worship and spiritual practice
Coptic Church rituals use very ancient words and music. Local languages are also used, in
order to allow the congregation to play a full part in the worship.
Sunday is the main day for services, which can last for over four hours.

Churches
Coptic churches are built facing East so that the congregation faces East in prayer. The
sanctuary of the church, where the altar is found, is divided from the nave by an iconostasis
a screen made of icons. Only priests, and deacons assisting at a service, are allowed through
the iconostasis.
The nave of a Coptic church is usually in two parts: the chancel or choir, and the nave itself.
The chancel is a raised area with seats for deacons, candle stands and reading desks. Part of
the nave is usually reserved for men.
Candles are used a great deal in services. Incense is used during worship.

Music
Music is almost entirely vocal; the only musical instruments used are the cymbals and the
triangle (other instruments are sometimes used in non-liturgical Coptic events).
The music of the church has been transmitted orally over the centuries because the church
didn't use any system of music notation. 300 hymns have survived and are still in use.
Coptic music, is second to no other religious music. It is unique. Its melodies are within only
a five-tone range; all melodiously manipulated to give this wide range of melodies.
I think it is miraculous, having so little melodic matter to deal with, and still Coptic music can
express praise and worship to God. I find it restful and it gives me the sense of the presence of
God: His grandeur and His assurance of His existence.
Martha Roy, Expert on Coptic music, Al Ahram 2000
Coptic hymns are deep, harmonic and exactly defined songs meant to express the innermost
emotions of the praising spirit. They do not follow musical notes or dedicated rhythm but
rather they translate the pulses of the spirit.
Deacon Nabih Fanous, Brief Notes on Coptic Hymns

A typical service
A typical service is described below:
The service is composed of four parts. The first is the preparation prayer, called in Arabic the
early morning prayer. This lasts only 30 minutes...the alter boys go around with incenses
while chanting in the Coptic language.
The second part is for offering, at which point a prayer is said over the holy bread. This lasts
for 20 to 30 minutes.
The third part consists of the preaching mass. Here, the priests read sections of the Old and
New Testament, as well giving a sermon...

The fourth part is the reconciliation prayer. This only lasts for 10 minutes when the priests
give the people Christ's forgiveness and the people do so to each other.
The fifth part is the Believer's mass and it lasts for the rest of the service. This is when the
congregation has communion, and is supposed to be only attended by those who have been
baptised and who have confessed. This strict rule is now more found in small villages in
Upper Egypt, but in Cairo, one must only hear the Bible reading to be able to have
communion, meaning that one cannot enter very late to the service.
During the service women and men don't mix, they sit separately on each side of the church.
Also during communion, they go to different chambers on the sides of the altar where the
women cover their hair in respect of the ceremony.
Lara Iskander and Jimmy Dunn, An Overview of the Coptic Christians of Egypt, 2007.
Copyright U.S. Copts Association

Liturgies
There are three main liturgies: The liturgies of St. Basil, used throughout the year; St.
Gregory, used at Christmas, Epiphany and Easter; and St. Cyril (or St. Mark).
The sung liturgy is a solemn drama involving at least four participants: celebrant, deacon,
cantor and choir. The celebrant - either priest, bishop or patriarch - performs the Eucharist, the
thanksgiving and sacrifice, with some freedom within fixed limits... Often he will vocalise for
minutes on one syllable, especially on feast days or when eminent guests are present.
John Gillespie, The Egyptian Copts and their Music

Baptism of Jesus Christ: icon from the Coptic Church of Saint

Mercurius, Old Cairo

Sacraments
There are seven sacraments in the Coptic Church.

Baptism
o The Church baptises babies and adults
o

Baptism is by total immersion three times - regardless of age

Confirmation/Chrismation
o

This sacrament takes place immediately after Baptism. The person is anointed
with oil of Myron with 36 signs of the cross on their joints and sense organs.
An appropriate prayer is used for each place of annointing

Oil of Myron is made by adding spices and perfumes (including those used to
anoint Jesus after the Crucifixion) to pure olive oil

Confession/Repentance
o

The Church teaches that baptism is essential for salvation

Regular confession is necessary if a person wishes to take communion

Eucharist
o

This is the most important sacrament

The Church accepts the doctrine of transubstantiation

Children of any age can take communion

Women may not take communion in church during their period (nor may
people of either sex who are bleeding)

People are expected to receive communion immediately after the sacraments of

Baptism, Confession, Matrimony and Priesthood

Adults must fast for 9 hours before communion, should dress appropriately,
and abstain from sex on the day and eve of communion

Unction of the Sick

Matrimony

Priesthood

Fasting
Fasting is an important spiritual element of Coptic life. While it is regarded as an important
spiritual practice, it is a voluntary spiritual sacrifice and the Church does not insist that people
fast. Fasting is excused for those who are unwell.
Fasting requires not eating at all for a period, and then abstaining from meat, fish, dairy
products and cooking fats or oil derived from animals.
There are 210 days of fasting each year. Fasts include the Fast of the Nativity (43 days), the
Fast of the Apostles (duration varies), the Fast of the Virgin Mary (15 days), the Fast of
Nineveh, and the Great Fast (Lent), which lasts 55 days. Many Copts also fast on Wednesdays
and Fridays.
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Monasticism
Monasticism

Approaching St Antony's Monastery, Eastern Desert, Egypt

One of the Coptic Church's greatest contributions to Christianity was the development of
monasticism. Egypt was the birth place of Christian monasteries.
Saint Anthony (c. 251-356 AD), is credited with inspiring the first monastic community. He
didn't intend to found a monastery: originally he set off to live a solitary spiritual life in the
Egyptian desert; other men eventually came to live near him - creating the idea of religious
people choosing to live close to an especially holy person.
Monasticism developed further under Saint Pachomius (died c. 346 AD), an ex-Roman soldier
of Egyptian origins, who laid down the first rules for a collective community of hermits and
developed the concept of combining spiritual devotion with learning and routine work.

Father Ruwais of St Antony's Monastery

The monastic movement gained extra fame through the work of members of Pachomian
communities known as the Desert Fathers, whose teachings have been a source of inspiration
to Christians throughout history.
Monasticism has revived in the last few decades, and significant numbers have chosen the
monastic life; not only within monasteries but as hermits too.
We don't oblige any monk to lead a certain life. For he who wants to live in the monastery as
part of the congregation, that is all right. If he wants to lead a life of solitude inside the
monastery, that is all right. If he wants a cell of solitude outside the monastery or on the near
hills, that will be all right. He who wants to live in a cave will have the permission to live in a
cave. We have all kinds of monasticism.
Pope Shenouda III, Monasticism

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Ethics
Ethics
Drinking
The Church bans spirits (alcoholic drinks made by distillation) and the misuse of alcohol.
Wine is permitted, but not in excess.

Suicide
The former pope, Shenouda III, said suicide is a crime of murder, as people do not own their
souls.

Euthanasia
The Church does not permit euthanasia.

Abortion
The Church believes that life begins at the moment of conception and regards a foetus as a
living being who has the right to both life and dignity.
The Church states that "once a pregnancy has occurred, than it is a sin to abort the baby, even
if its age is only one hour". However, abortion can be allowed if it is the only way to save the
mother's life.

Organ transplants
The Church accepts organ transplants, whether from dead or living persons.

Contraception
The Church accepts birth control methods that don't amount to abortion.

Sexual ethics
The Church expects its members to avoid any form of sexual immorality. Any form of
physical intimacy should be avoided outside marriage.

Marriage
Coptic marriages are monogamous.
Copts marry within the faith - non-Coptic partners are required to convert.

Copts undergo a ceremony of Betrothal in advance of marriage during which the couple
exchange rings engraved with their partner's name; the betrothal is not a final commitment
and can be renounced.
Divorce and remarriage is only permitted for the innocent party in cases of adultery or
conversion, although this is currently (2008) a controversial issue after Egypt's Higher Civil
Court ruled that Copts who had been through a civil divorce had the legal right to remarry.
Among Copts the annulment of conjugal unions had been permitted on the grounds of
adultery, abandonment, obvious evidence of ill treatment, mental disability and impotence.
Things changed radically after Shenouda III ascended to the Coptic Papacy. He promptly
rejected divorce on any grounds except adultery and extremely cruel treatment.
Al Ahram, March 2008
Marriages can be annulled in cases of deceit, such as bigamy.

Homosexuality
The Church believes that homosexual acts are wrong.
Homosexuality is against nature because sexual relations are permitted only within the
confines of marriage, and marriage is only permitted between a man and a woman, male and
female.
Pope Shenouda III, Homosexuality and Ordination of Women, 1993
In August 2003, the Coptic Orthodox Church issued a formal declaration against
homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
The Church does not permit the ordination of gay priests.