The
Coptic Orthodox Church
THE “TERM “ COPTIC IS DERIVED FROM THE GREEK
“AIGYPTIOS “, MEANING “EGYPTIAN” THIS WAS THE GREEK VERSION OF THE ANCIENT
EGYPTIAN WORD FOR MEMPHIS HA-KA-PTAH , MEANING “THE LAND WHERE
THE GOD PTAH IS WORSHIPPED”. ARABS ARRIVED IN EGYPT IN THE
SEVENTH CENTURY, THEY CALLED THE EGYPTIONS “QIBT “. THUS THE
ARABIC WORD “ QIBT “ CAME TO MEAN BOTH “ EGYPTION “ AND” CHRISTIAN
“.
THE TERM “ORTHODOX “ HERE REFERS TO THE PRESERVATION
OF THE “ ORIGINAL FAITH “ BY THE COPTS WHO , THROUGHOUT THE AGES , DEFENDED
THE OLD GREED AGAINST THE NUMEROUS ATTACKS AIMED AT IT .
THE COPTIC CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST BY ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN
THE YEAR 40 A. D. THE CHURCH ADHERES TO THE NICENE CREED , NOT TO MENTION
THAT ST. ATHANASIUS , THE PIONEER OF THAT GREAT ECUMENICAL CONGRESS , WAS
HE HIMSELF THE TWENTIETH POPE OF ALEXANDRIA.
THE COPTIC CHURCH BELIEVES IN
THE HOLY TRINITY , GOD THE FATHER , GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
, AS EQUAL TO EACH OTHER , IN ONE UNITY, AND THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY
-BEGOTTEN SON , AND THE ONLY SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. LESS CHANGE HAS
TAKEN PLACE IN THE CHURCH OF EGYPT THAN IN ANY OTHER , BOTH IN RITUAL AND
DOCTRINE. THE SUCCESSION OF COPTIC PATRIARCHS , BISHOPS , PRIESTS AND DEACONS
HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS SINCE THE TIME OF ST.MARK HIMSELF. HIS HOLINESS POPE
SHENOUDA 111 IS THE 117TH SUCCESSOR OF ST. MARK .
THE COPTIC CHURCH RECOGNIZES SEVEN SACRAMENTS
: BAPTISM , CONFIRMATION , HOLY COMMUNION , PENANCE , HOLY ORDERS , MARRIAGE
AND UNCTION OF THE SICK.
THE COPTIC PRIDE THEMSELEVES ON THE APOSTOLICITY
OF THEIR CHURCH , AND ON THE FACT THAT EGYPT IS THE ONLY LAND IN THE WORLD
TO BE HONOURED AND BLESSED BY A LONG VISIT BY THE HOLY FAMILY.
THE COPTS ALSO PRIDE THEMSELVES ON THEIR EGYPTIAN
SAINTS , THEOLOGIANS AND SCHOLARS , WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COUNTED AMOUNG
THE MOST DISTINGUISHED FIGURES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH :
CLEMENT A. D. 211 ; ORIGAN A. D. 185 ; ANTHONY A. D.
250 ; PACHOMIUS A. D. 290 ; ATHANASIUS A. D. 293 ; MACARIUS A. D. 300 ;CYRIL
A. D. 377 ;ETC, ETC,ETC………
THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS OF EGYPT , THE SUDAN , ARMENIA, A PART OF SYRIA
AND INDIA AND ETHIOPIA ARE THE MAIN FOLLOWERS OF THE CREED OF THE COPTIC
ORTHODOX CHURCH . MORE AND MORE ARE JOINING THE CREED IN OTHER PLACES ,
PARTICULARLY IN AFRICA. MANY COPTS HAVE MIGRATED TO SEVERAL PLACE IN THE
WHOLE WORLD , AND ARE NOW FORMING NEW COMMUNITIES IN THESE PLACES.