Coptic Catholic Church
Arabic | |
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Liturgy | Coptic Rite |
Headquarters | Cathedral of Our Lady of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt |
Congregations | 166 (2016) |
Members | 187,320 (2017)[1] |
Ministers | 243[2] |
Official website | coptcatholic.net |
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The Coptic Catholic Church
The current
History
Beginnings
Since the Council of Chalcedon in the 5th century and the official separation of the Coptic Church from the Western Christian and Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Catholic Church has attempted to achieve reunion with the Copts in Egypt many times. During the Council of Florence in 1442, the Coptic delegates present agreed to a reunion with the papacy in Rome,[4] 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.[5]
In the 17th century, at the behest of
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".[5][6] Attempts to excommunicate Catholic offenders in the city were seemingly fruitless.[5] Agathangelo would later be hanged as a martyr in Ethiopia by order of the Ethiopian king in 1638,[6] and the mission in Cairo would start to decline. The
In 1741, the Coptic bishop, Anba Athanasius of
Patriarchate
Under the assumption that the Ottoman viceroy wanted a Catholic patriarch for the Coptic Catholics in 1824, the Pope established the
The number of Catholics of this rite increased to the point that Leo XIII in 1895 restored the Catholic patriarchate.[8] He initially named Bishop Cyril 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 Pope over a controversy. The patriarchate seat remained vacant until an election in 1947[7] and was administered by an apostolic administrator.[9]
Hierarchy
The Coptic Catholic Church sui juris comprises a single ecclesiastical province, covering Egypt alone. The Patriarch is the sole
Coptic Catholic Church has eight suffragan bishops, throughout Egypt, comprising the only Coptic Catholic
]Religious orders
The Coptic Catholic Church does not have Coptic
Educational and health services
Most candidates for the
Ecumenism
Relations between the Coptic Catholic Church and the larger Coptic Orthodox Church are generally very good.[11]
See also
- Eastern Catholicism
- List of Catholic dioceses in Egypt
- List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)
- List of Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria
- Monasticism
- Oriental Orthodox Church
Notes
- Latin: Ecclesia Catholica Coptorum
References
- ^ "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- ^ Roberson, Ronald G. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2010" (PDF). Eastern Catholic Churches Statistics. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "الكنيسة الكاثوليكية تحتفل بذكرى القديس فالنتينو الأسقف". www.dostor.org. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
- ISBN 9798869171504.
- ^ ISBN 0028970241.
- ^ ISBN 0860122573.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Roberson, Ronald G. "The Coptic Catholic Church". Eastern Catholic Churches. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ a b Fortescue, Adrian (1909). . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5.
- ^ a b "Patriarchal See of Alexandria". Catholic Dioceses in the World. GCatholic.org. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ "Pontifical Mission - The Coptic Catholic Church". www.cnewa.org. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
- ^ Sprague, Sean. "Upper Egypt's Copts: Coptic Christians strive to improve the lot of all Egyptians". Retrieved 20 September 2020.
Sources and external links
- Coptic Catholic Patriarchate official website
- Coptic Catholic Church page at Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East
- Article on "Life in a Coptic Catholic Village"
- "Italian-language video on the Coptic Catholic Church"
- "Video of the ordination of Coptic Catholic deacons"
- Article on the Coptic Catholic Church by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA web site
- Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Pope Alexandria Shenouda III, 1973
- GigaCatholic