History
Egypt is often identified when a place of refuge that a Holy Family sought in its flight from either Judea: "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod the Great, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Matthew 2:12-23). A Egyptian Church, which is today other than xix centuries old, was a subject of numerous prophecies in the Old Testament. Isaiah the prophet, in Chapter 19, Verse 19 says "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border."

A number 1 Christians in Egypt were mainly Alexandrian Jews such as Theophilus, whom Saint Luke the Evangelist addresses in the introductory chapter of his gospel. Once a church was founded by Mark during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, a great multitude of native Egyptians (when opposed to Greeks or even Jews) embraced a Christian faith. Christianity spread throughout Egypt within half the century of Mark's arrival within Alexandria when is clear from either a New Testament writings found around Bahnasa, in Middle Egypt, which date around the season 200 AD, & a fragment of the Gospel of Saint John, written in Coptic, which was found around Upper Egypt and can be dated to the number 1 half of the 2nd century. In the second century Christianity began to spread to a rural areas, and scriptures were translated into the local language, that is to say Coptic.

The Catechetical School of Alexandria
A catechetic School of Alexandria is the oldest catechetical school in the globe. Based as much as 190 per scholar Pantanaeus, the school of Alexandria became an significant institution of religious learning, in which students were taught by scholars like Athenagoras, Clement, Didymus, and a swell Origen, world health organization was considered a father of theology & who was too active in the field of comment & comparative Biblical studies. Origen wrote all over 6,000 comment of the Bible in addition to his famous Hexapla. Numbers of scholars like Saint Jerome visited the school of Alexandria to exchange ideas & to communicate directly sustaining its scholars. A scope of this school was non limited to theological cases; science, math & humanities were too taught there. A wonder & guide method of comment began there, & Fifteen centuries prior to Braille, wood-carving techniques were in have there by unsighted scholars to review & write.

A Theological college of the catechetic school of Alexandria was re-established within 1893. A fresh school presently has campuses around Alexandria, Cairo, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, where Coptic priests-to-become & more experienced enough men & women come taught among more cases Christian theology, history, Coptic language and art - including chanting, music, iconography, and tapestry.

Monasticism and missionary work
In the third century, during a persecution of Decius, some Christians fled to a desert, & remained there to pray when the persecutions abated. This was a beginning of the monastic movement, which was reorganized by the saints Anthony the Great and Pachomius in the 4th century. Per prevent of a century, there were hundreds of monasteries, & hundreds to thousands of cells & caves scattered throughout the Egyptian hills. The total one monasteries come however flourishing & keep around fresh vocations till this day.

Egyptian monasticism attracted a attention of Christians within more area of the globe, globe health organization visited Egypt, numerous bringing conventual ideas at home by having the two, & spreading monasticism through the Christian world. Saint Basil, organizer of the monastic movement inside Asia Minor visited Egypt around AD 357 and his rule is followed by the eastern Churches; Saint Jerome, en route to Jerusalem, stopped around Egypt & left details of his lives in his letters; Saint Benedict founded monasteries in the 6th century on the model of Pachomius, but within the nonindulgent form.

Council of Nicea
In the 4th century, the Libyan priest called Arius started a theological dispute just about a nature and severity of Christ that spread throughout a Christian globe. A Ecumenical Council of Nicea (325) was convened by Constantine to resolve a dispute & one of these days led to the formulation of the Symbol of Faith, likewise referred to as the Nicene Creed. A Creed, which is currently recited throughout a Christian globe, was authored by Saint Athanasius the Apostolic, the Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria.

Council of Constantinople
In the season 381, Timothy I of Alexandria presided over a 2nd ecumenical council called a Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, which completed the Nicene Creed with this confirmation of the divinity of the Holy Spirit:

Council of Ephesus
An additional theological dispute in the 5th century occurred over a teachings of Nestorius, a Patriarch of Constantinople world health organization taught that God a Word was non hypostatically joined with huhuman being nature and severity, however like dwelt in the man Jesus. Following of this, he denied a title "Mother of God" (Theotokos) to the Virgin Mary, declaring her instead to be "Mother of Christ" (Christotokos). Whilst reports of this reached a Apostolic Potty of Saint Mark, the officeholder acted quickly to "correct" this breach by owning orthodoxy, requesting that Nestorius repent. Once he would does'nt, the Synod of Alexandria met inside an emergency session & a unanimous agreement was reached. Pope Cyril I of Alexandria, supported by the entire Watch, sent the letter to Nestorius called "The Third Epistle of Saint Cyril to Nestorius." This epistle drew heavy on a constituted Patristic Constitutions & contained the best known article of Alexandrian Orthodoxy: "The Twelve Anathemas of Saint Cyril." Around these anathemas, Cyril excommunicated anyone who followed a teachings of Nestorius. For instance, "Anyone who dares to deny the Holy Virgin the title Theotokos is Anathema!" Nestorius however, however would does'nt repent and then this led to the convention of the First Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431), over which Cyril presided.

A First Ecumenical Council of Ephesus confirmed the teachings of Saint Athanasius and confirmed the title of the Holy Ever-Virgin Mary when "Mother of God". It as well clearly stated that anyone world health organization separated Christ into two hypostases wwhen anathema, as Athanasius experienced said that there exists "One Nature and One Hypostasis for God the Word Incarnate" (Mia Physis kai Mia Hypostasis tou Theou Logou Sasarkomeni). Likewise, a introduction to the creed wwhen formulated as follows:

A Orthodox faith is considered to own prevailed at a council. Unluckily, Cyril of Alexandria died before long after. Saint Dioscorus, the archdeacon of Alexandrithe (considered the saint per non-Chalcedonians however a heretic per Eastern Orthodox & Roman Catholics) wwhen elected as Cyril's replacement. A Nestorians took a chance of Cyril's demise to revive their campaign against Cyrillian Christology.

Council of Chalcedon
Per instance a Council of Chalcedon was called, politics experienced already began to intermingle using Church affairs. After a Emperor Marcianus interfered with matters of faith in a Church, the response of Saint Dioscorus, the Pope of Alexandria world health organization was later on to exist as exiled, to this interference was clear: "You have nothing to do with the Church." It was at Chalcedon that the emperor would require his retaliation for the Pope's frankness.

A Council of Chalcedon abandoned Cyrillian terminology & declared that Christ was a single hypostasis within 2 natures. Nonetheless, a Council's selecting were rejected by several of the Christians on the fringes of the Byzantine Empire: Egyptians, Syrians, Armenians, and others. From either that point forward, Alexandria would use at times 2 patriarchs: a "Melkite" or Imperial Patriarch, now referred to as a Eastern Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, and a non-Chalcedonian national Egyptian 1, nowadays called a Coptic Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. Well-nigh a entire Egyptian people rejected a terms of a Council of Chalcedon & remained close to the national Egyptian Church (currently called the Coptic Church). Victims world health organization supported a Chalcedonian definition remained inside communion with the more leading churches of Rome and Constantinople. A non-Chalcedonian person became what is now known as a Oriental Orthodox Church.

A Chalcedonians for instance known as a non-Chalcedonians "monophysites", though the Coptic Church denies that it teaches monophysitism, which it regards as a heresy. It keep close at hand periodically known as a Chalcedonian class action "dyophysites". The term that comes nearer to Coptic philosophical system is "miaphysite", which refers to a conjoint nature & severity for Christ, two man and divine, united indivisibly in the Incarnate Logos. A Coptic Church believes that Christ is h1 withwithwithin His divinity, & He is hone in His humanity, however His divinity & His humanity were united in one nature and severity known as "the nature of the incarnate word", which was reiterated by Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Copts, so, think within both natures "human" & "divine" that come united around 1 forswearing mingling, while forgoing confusion, & forgoing alteration. These ii natures did non separate for even a moment or the split second of an eye.

From Chalcedon to the Arab conquest of Egypt
Copts suffered under a rule of the Eastern Roman Empire. A Melkite Patriarchs, appointed per emperors when two spiritual leaders & civil governors, massacred a Egyptian people whom it considered heretics. Numerous Egyptians were tortured & martyred to assume a terms of Chalcedon, however Egyptians remained truehearted to the faith of their fathers & to the Cyrilian look at of Christology. One of a virtually all famed Egyptian saints of that time period is Saint Samuel the Confessor.

The Arab conquest of Egypt

A Arab conquest of Egypt took place in AD 641. Although a Royal forces resisted a Arab army under Amr ibn al-As, the majority of the civilian people, getting suffered persecution for the differing Christian beliefs, were less hostile; around a few instances it welcomed their freshly masters. Considered "People of the Book", Christians were allowed to practice their religion, under the restrictions of the Islamic Shari'a law. This protection stemmed within the share from either a Hadith of the Prophet (whose Egyptian wife had borne him a boy world health organization died within infancy, known as Ibrahim) that advised "When you conquer Egypt, be kind to the Copts for they are your proteges and kith and kin" and in the portion from either a want to own capable administrators.

Despite the political upheaval, Egypt remained the primarily Christian land, although gradual conversions to Islam all over a centuries got the result of changing Egypt from either a principally Christian to a in the main Muslim country by the prevent of the 12th century. This run was sped along by persecutions when you took & resulting a reign of the mad Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned AD 996-1021) and a Crusades, and too per acceptance of Arabic as a liturgical language per Pope of Alexandria Gabriel ibn-Turaik.

From the 19th century to the 1952 revolution
A position of a Copts began to improve early in the 19th century under the stability & tolerance of Muhammad Ali's dynasty. A Coptic community ceased to exist as regarded per state as an administrative unit &, by 1855, the independent mark of Copts' inferiority, a Jizya revenue enhancement, was lifted. Shortly thenceforth, Christians began to serve in the Egyptian army. A 1919 revolution around Egypt, the number one grassroots display of Egyptian identity in centuries, stands as a witness to the homogeneity of Egypt's modern society by owning two its Muslim & Christian components.

Coptic Christianity today

A todays Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of the Holy See of Saint Mark is Pope Shenouda III (his title should not become confused therewith of the Roman Catholic Pope). A virtually all recent Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria is Theodoros II. There is a little Coptic Catholic Church (Eastern Rite Catholic) which is headed by a Patriarch of Alexandria. A Melkite Catholic Church (Eastern Rite Catholic) has little presence in Egypt, however is headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, Antioch & Jerusalem.

By a few accounts there are other than 50 million Coptic Orthodox Christians within the globe: it is noticed primarily in Egypt (roughly 15 million), Ethiopia (roughly 30 million), & Eritrea (roughly Two million), however there are important statistics within North America, Europe, Australia, Sudan and Israel, and around diaspora throughout the world making more or less some other Three to Four million. All the same, every bit applied to the Tewahedo Church of Ethiopia, which before 1950 was a a portion of the Coptic Church of Egypt, the word Coptic may be considered the misnomer because it means Egyptian. A Eritrean Orthodox Church similarly became independent of a Tewahedo Church during the Nineties. These trio churches remain in full communion by having each more & with a more Oriental Orthodox churches.

Since a Eighties theologist from either them groups keep around been meeting within a bid to resolve a theological differences, & use concluded that numerous of the differences come from either them groups utilizing different nomenclature to describe the equivalent tool. Inside 1990, a Coptic & Antiochian Orthodox Churches agreed to reciprocally recognize baptisms performed inside every more's churches, making rebaptisms unneeded. In a summertime of 2001, a Coptic Orthodox & Antiochian Orthodox agreed to recognize the sacrament of marriage every bit celebrated per more. Antecedently, whenever a Coptic & Greek wanted to marry, the marriage got to become performed twice, once in every church, for it to exist as recognized by two. Okay, it may exist as liquidate exclusively 1 church & be recognized by two.

In the Coptic Church sole men can become ordained, & it must become married prior to it is ordained, in case it wish to be married. Therein respect it watch a equivalent practices when does a Eastern Orthodox Church.

Traditionally, a Coptic language was used around church, & a scriptures were written in the Coptic alphabet. Nonetheless, due to the arabisation of Egypt, service withinside churches began to witness increased apply of Arabic, when preaching is done completely in Arabic. Native languages come utilized, within conjunction by owning Coptic, in the period of services outside of Egypt.

Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January which, since 2002, is an official national holiday in Egypt.

Prominent Copts
Saints St. Abanoub St. Abdel Messih El-Makari St. Abraam Bishop of Fayoum الأنبا إبرآم أسقف الفيوم St. Anthony the Great القديس الأنبا أنطونيوس أب الرهبان St. Athanasius the Apostolic البابا أثناسيوس الرسولي St. Pishoy St. Cyril of Alexandria القديس البابا كيرلس السكندري عامود الدين Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria قداسة البابا كيرلس السادس St. Demiana الشهيدة دميانة St. Didimos القديس ديديموس الضرير St. Dioscores البابا ديسقوروس St. Mary of Egypt القديسة مريم المصرية St. Mina الشهيد مارمينا العجايبي St. Maurice القديس موريس قائد الكتيبة الطيبية St. Moses the Black القديس موسى الأسود St. Pakhom القديس باخوم أب الشركة St. Parsoma الأنبا برسوم العريان St. Pavly the Anchorite St. Philopatyr Mercurius St. Samuel the Confessor St. Shenouda the Archimandrite St. Simon the Shoemaker St. Takla Haymanot القديس الأنبا تكلا هيمانوت الحبشي القس St. Tigy St. Verena القديسة فيرينا

Clergymen HH Pope Shenouty III, the todays Pope of Alexandria قداسة البابا شنوده الثالث

Politicians Boutros Ghali, Prime Minister of Egypt بطرس غالي Boutros Boutros Ghali, Former Secretary General of the United Nations بطرس بطرس غالي Makram Ebeid مكرم عبيد Kamal Stino, Former Vice Prime Minister of Egypt كمال ستينو Youssef Boutros Ghali يوسف بطرس غالي

20th Century Large Copts Professor Naguib Pasha Mahfouz (1882-1974), Obstetric fistula pioneer & a father of Ob & Gynecology inside Egypt Sir Magdi Yacoub , leading cardiologist in the world مجدي يعقوب Isaac Fanous, the father of modern Coptic iconography ايزاك فانوس Mary Moneib ماري منيب Ester Fanous إستر فانوس Sobhi Gergis صبحي جرجس Margret Nakhla مرجريت نخلة Sandra Nashaat ساندرا نشأت Michel Bakhoom ميشيل باخوم Nabih Youssef Leading civil engineer in the U.S. Professor Alfy Morcos Fanous Leading civil engineer and one of a coastal engineering pioneers in the world Youssef Sidhom Prominent Journalist Onsi Sawiris Founder of Orascom Corp. & wealthy man around Egypt Fayez Sarofim Billionaire Houston financier Bob Marley (deathbed convert)