 Coptic Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
| ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲕⲁⲑⲟⲗⲓⲕⲏ (Coptic) الكنيسة القبطية الكاثوليكية (Arabic) | |
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| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Eastern Catholic |
| Theology | Catholic Theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Structure | Patriarchate |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Patriarch | Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak |
| Eparchies | 9 |
| Associations | Dicastery for the Eastern Churches |
| Region | Egypt, with communities in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America |
| Language | Coptic,Arabic |
| Liturgy | Coptic Rite |
| Headquarters | Cathedral of Our Lady of Egypt,Cairo, Egypt |
| Founder | Mark the Evangelist (according to tradition) |
| Congregations | 166 (2016) |
| Members | 253,100 (2023)[1] |
| Ministers | 243[2] |
| Other name | Coptic Church |
| Official website | catholic-eg.com |
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TheCoptic Catholic Church,[a], also known as theCopticCatholic Church of Alexandria, is anEastern Catholicparticular church infull communion with theCatholic Church. Along with theEthiopian Catholic Church andEritrean Catholic Church, it belongs to theAlexandrian liturgical tradition. Uniquely among the Alexandrian RiteEastern Catholic liturgies, the Coptic Catholic Church uses theCoptic Rite and theCoptic language (derived fromAncient Egyptian) in its liturgy; the Ethiopian Catholic Church and Eritrean Catholic Church use theGeʽez Rite.[4]
The currentCoptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria isIbrahim Isaac Sidrak, who replacedAntonios Naguib in 2013. The offices of thepatriarchate are located inCairo. The patriarchalCathedral of Our Lady of Egypt is inNasr City, a suburb of Cairo.[citation needed]
Since theCouncil of Chalcedon in the 5th century and the official separation of theCoptic Church from theWestern Christian andEastern Orthodox churches, theCatholic Church has attempted to achieve reunion with the Copts in Egypt many times. During theCouncil of Florence in 1442, the Coptic delegates present agreed to a reunion with the papacy in Rome,[5] but the Coptic populace was opposed to the idea, and the union did not take effect. Further failed attempts at reunion were undertaken by Coptic delegates in 1560 and 1582.[6]
In the 17th century, at the behest ofPope Urban VIII, Catholic missionaries (primarilyFranciscans) started to come to Egypt. In 1630, a number of missions of theCapuchin Order were founded in the Levant by Joseph of Paris, including in Cairo.[6] Although the mission in Cairo initially faced setbacks, tensions with the local Coptic priesthood were eased following the arrival of the Capuchin priest Agathangelo of Vendôme in 1633.
Initial relations between Catholics and Copts in Egypt were poor. One Coptic councilor in 1637 referred to the Roman Church in Egypt as "a brothel".[6][7] Attempts to excommunicate Catholic offenders in the city were seemingly fruitless.[6] Agathangelo would later be hanged as amartyr inEthiopia by order of the Ethiopian king in 1638,[7] and the mission in Cairo would start to decline.
In 1741, the Coptic bishop, Anba Athanasius ofJerusalem, became a Catholic.[9] In 1781, he was appointed byPope Benedict XIV asvicar apostolic of the fewer than 2,000 Egyptian Coptic Catholics.[8] Eventually, Athanasius returned to the Coptic Orthodox Church and others served as Catholic vicar apostolic.[8]
Under the assumption that the Ottoman viceroyMuhammad Ali Pasha wanted a Catholic patriarch for the Coptic Catholics in 1824, the Pope established thePatriarchate of Alexandria[8] from theApostolic Vicariate of Syria, Egypt, Arabia and Cyprus,[10] but it was basicallytitular.[8] The Ottomans in 1829 allowed the Coptic Catholics to build their own churches.[8]
Pope Gregory XVI appointed Theodore Abukarim as "Apostolic Delegate and Visitor to the Abyssinian people" (i.e. the Coptic Catholics in Egypt) in 1840.[11]
The number of Catholics of this rite increased to the point thatPope Leo XIII in 1895 restored the Catholic patriarchate.[9] He initially named BishopCyril Makarios as patriarchal vicar. Makarios then presided over a synod, which led to the introduction of some Latin practices. In 1899, Leo appointed Makarios as patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, taking the name Cyril II. He resigned in 1908 at the request of the Roman pope over a controversy. The patriarchate seat remained vacant until an election in 1947[8] and was administered by an apostolic administrator.[10]
The Coptic Catholic Churchsui juris comprises a singleecclesiastical province, coveringEgypt alone. The patriarch is the solemetropolitan archbishop, retaining the ancient title Alexandria but his actual seat is in Egypt's modern capitalCairo.
The Coptic Catholic Church has eight suffragan bishops, throughout Egypt, comprising the only Coptic Catholicecclesiastical province:Abu Qurqas,Alexandria (the patriarch's original home seat),Assiut,Giza,Ismailia,Luxor,Minya andSohag.[citation needed]
The Coptic Catholic Church does not have Copticmonasteries. Instead the church hasreligious congregations such as the three communities for women: theSisters of the Sacred Heart, theCoptic Sisters of Jesus and Mary (both based in Egypt) and the Egyptian province of theLittle Sisters of Jesus. There is also a community of maleFranciscans andJesuits.[8]
Most candidates for thepriesthood are trained atSt. Leo's Patriarchal Seminary [ar], in suburban Cairo. More than 100 Coptic Catholic parishes administer primary schools, and some have secondary schools as well. The church maintains a hospital, a number of medical dispensaries and clinics, and several orphanages.[12]
Relations between the Coptic Catholic Church and the larger Coptic Orthodox Church are generally very good.[13]
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