Coptic & Oriental Orthodox

[Robbie_James_Francis]

OK...I'm sorry, this is a really stupid question :sorry:, but can I ask exactly what the Coptic and Oriental Orthodox Church(es?) is/are? :confused:

By this I mean, how did this Church become distinct from other Churches in the history of Christianity, how is it run and on what principles or practices does it differ from other denominations?

Thanks!

In Christ or Saviour,
Robbie

[CopticGirl]

Basically The Catholic, Eastern, and Oriental Churches were all one prior to 451 AD. At that time the Oriental Churches seperated from the other two over a Christology issue which you can explore in the "Why Copts aren't Monophysites" thread. And then of course the Great Schism split the Catholics from the EO's. Copts are just the biggest Oriental Orthdox Church. Other Oriental Orthodox Churches include Ethiopian, Armenian, Syrian, Malankara, and I think I'm missing one more.

As for what we believe and teach? Basically the same thing as Catholics and practically identical to the EO's.

Some differences between us and Catholics?
-the Pope
-purgatory
-immaculate conception of Mary
-filoque

Among a few other issues.

Like your church, we have 7 sacraments (or as we call them, mysteries), and valid apostolic succession.

Any questions? Ask away!

Hope this helps.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Thanks!:thumbsup: :) :hug: :wave: That definitely was helpful-I didn't realise any groups split before 1054.

[erinipassi]

Hi Robbie,

If you would like to know the details of what we believe and what our Church practices are, here is a good website to visit: http://www.suscopts.org/literature/orthodoxfaith.html

The Apostle who came to preach Christianity to Egypt was St. Mark the Apostle. He is our first Patriarch or Pope. Our current Patriarch or Pope is H. H. Pope Shenouda III who is the 117th Pope after St. Mark. Our concept of Pope differs from the Catholic definition in that we don't believe there has to be only One Pope or that he is infallible, but that he is a wise and holy Shephard among other Shephards. We don't believe in the existance of only one Pope because there were many Apostles and they were all Patriarchs. So in the Coptic Orthodox we acknowledge other Patriarchs who have been faithful in preserving the faith and what was handed down. To read more on the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church, here is a good website: http://www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica/
http://www.copticcentre.com/Introduction.html

love and blessings
erini

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate the information...there's nothing quite like expanding your mind a bit and learning something new! :thumbsup:

God bless you. :groupray:
Rob :hug::liturgy:

[Irish Melkite]

Other Oriental Orthodox Churches include Ethiopian, Armenian, Syrian, Malankara, and I think I'm missing one more.

Elizabeth,

The Eritreans.

(It's an interesting sidenote that the Eritrean Tewahedo Orthodox are more closely aligned with the Coptic than Ethiopian Orthodox, while the Eritrean Catholics are aligned with the Ethiopian Catholics, rather than the Coptic Catholics.)

Many years,

Neil

[CopticGirl]

Elizabeth,

The Eritreans.

(It's an interesting sidenote that the Eritrean Tewahedo Orthodox are more closely aligned with the Coptic than Ethiopian Orthodox, while the Eritrean Catholics are aligned with the Ethiopian Catholics, rather than the Coptic Catholics.)

Many years,

Neil

Thank you Neil,
I always forget that one. You say the Eritrean are more closely aligned with the Coptic Orthodox? But aren't the Ethiopian Orthodox the one that were under the jurisdiction of the Coptic Church until Pope Kyrillos VI appointed to them there own Patriarch maybe 40 years ago?

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[Irish Melkite]

You say the Eritrean are more closely aligned with the Coptic Orthodox? But aren't the Ethiopian Orthodox the one that were under the jurisdiction of the Coptic Church until Pope Kyrillos VI appointed to them there own Patriarch maybe 40 years ago?

Elizabeth,

You're right. Until early in the 20th century, all Ethiopian bishops were Egyptian Copts appointed by the Coptic Patriarchate. In fact, the only bishop in Ethiopia for centuries was a Coptic Metropolitan.

When the Ethiopian Church began to demand more autonomy, four native Ethiopian bishops were ordained as auxiliaries to the Coptic Metropolitan - if I remember correctly, that happened in about 1930. After WWII, an agreement was reached that provided for the election of an ethnic Ethiopian as Metropolitan upon the death of the then-incumbent Copt. Around 1950 or 1951, Basilios, of blessed memory, an Ethiopian, was elected as Metropolitan, and the Ethiopian Church was conferred autonomous status. At the end of that decade, Pope Kyrillos VI, of blessed memory, confirmed Metropolitan Basilios as the first Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

The Church was the state religion until the Marxist revolution in the 70s and there were about 20 years of unrest during which at least one Patriarch, Theophilos, of blessed memory, was assassinated, his immediate successor was accused of collaboration with the Marxists and forced to resign, and two others simultaneously claimed the office, with Patriarch Paulos finally being accepted - though there was a schism in the US dioceses over recognition of him (I'm not certain that has been completely healed but, last I read, the two groups were close to agreement).

Eritrea passed from Italian to British control in WWII and was annexed by Ethiopia in the early 50's, but from the 60's until the early 90's, there was an ongoing struggle for independence - which was finally achieved a few years after the collapse of the Marxist regime in Ethiopia. At that point, its churches belonged to an Ethiopian diocese (not sure whether the hierarch was Ethiopian or Eritrean). That same year (1993, I think), they appealed to His Holiness Pope Shenouda to be separated from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and granted autocephalous status; the Ethiopians agreed and the Coptic Holy Synod approved the status change. In 1998, they chose their first Patriarch, Philippos, of blessed memory, who was installed by Pope Shenouda. The two Churches signed an agreement that called for common synodal meetings at some fixed interval, commemorations of both Patriarchs in the Dyptichs, shared delegations in dialogues with other Churches, and some shared endeavors on clergy education, social service initiatives, and other matters.

Although both the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches give the Coptic Pope a primacy of honor, my sense is that the relationship between the Eritreans and Copts are closer at this point than that between the Copts and Ethiopians - possibly because of the newness of the former relationship. As to that between the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches, my suspicion is that it has the same strains that might be expected between two groups whose countries were at odds a decade and a half ago.

As to why the same issues haven't come about between the Ethiopian and Eritrean Catholics, I'm unsure. The latter don't have a separate sui iuris Church; they are part of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, although they do have their own jurisdictions and native ethnic hierarchs - and that alone may have been enough to avoid lobbying for a sui iuris Church of their own.

Many years,

Neil