Introduction

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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, Shenouda III, is 117th 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.