On 19 June 1994, in the presence of 62 metropolitans and bishops of theCoptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III elevated Marcos (Mark) as the firstmetropolitan of the Holy Metropolis ofToulon and AllFrance andPrimate of the French Coptic Orthodox Church; he served until his death in 2008.[5] Athanasius was elevated as theauxiliary bishop to Marcos, and succeeded him until 2023.[6][7]
As of 2025, France consists of three dioceses.[8][9][10] There were more than 45,000 French Copts in 2011.[11]
In Germany, the faithful have been served by Damian, bishop ofHöxter-Brenkenhausen and Abbot of the Monastery of St. Mary and St. Maurice;[12] and Michail, bishop and abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in Kroeffelbach,Germany. Michail died in 2023.[13]
As of 2017, the Coptic Church in Germany consisted of some 6,000–12,000 members.[14][15] The majority of its growing German membership stemmed from immigration to Europe.[15] As of 2025, the German faithful consist of two dioceses.[16][17]
The Coptic Orthodox faithful in Italy have been led by Barnaba, bishop ofTurin,Rome andSouthern Italy;[18][19][20] and Antonio, bishop ofMilan andNorthern Italy and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite in Milan.[21][22] The Coptic Church in Italy is made of two dioceses.[23][24] There were between 15,000 and 20,000 Copts in Italy as of 2022.[20]
The Netherlands has been led by Arsany (Arsanios), bishop of Amsterdam and all the Netherlands and affiliate jurisdictions.[25] Its Dutch diocese was established in 2013.[26]
Great Britain and Ireland have been allegedly introduced to Oriental Orthodoxy since the purported consecration ofJules Ferrette, who was allegedly elevated as a bishop byIgnatius Peter IV to establish an Oriental Orthodox mission in theWest.[28][29] This mission would develop into theAncient British Church, and later its descendants would form theCatholicate of the West. The remnants of the Catholicate of the West would later become theBritish Orthodox Church, which joined the Coptic Orthodox Church.[30][31] As of 2015, the British Orthodox Church was no longercanonically recognized as an Oriental Orthodox church.[32]
Since the spread of the diaspora, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has established their own separate dioceses throughout the British Isles.[33][34][35]
Giovanni has served as diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Central Europe (Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania & Slovakia).[41][42] The diocese was formed in 2017.[43]
^Anson, Peter F. (2006) [1964]. "Jules Ferrette, Mar Julius, Bishop of Iona, and alleged Patriarchal Legate of the Syrian Jacobite Church for Western Europe".Bishops at Large. Independent Catholic Heritage. Apocryphile press.ISBN0-9771461-8-9.
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