Copts in Libya

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Copts in Libya
Arabic
Liturgical: Coptic language
Religion
Coptic Orthodoxy

Copts in Libya may refer to people born in or residing in

ethnoreligious group that form the largest Christian group in Libya, the Coptic Orthodox Church in the country having an estimated 60,000 adherents. The Coptic Church is known to have historical roots in Libya long before the Arabs (and Islam) advanced westward from Egypt into Libya. A part of the community is made up of immigrants from Egypt (see Copts in Egypt
).

Population

The Coptic population is estimated to number 60,000.[1] The Copts are the largest Christian denomination, followed by c. 40,000 Roman Catholics and a small number of Anglicans.[1] They are present in all three major regions.[2]

History

Early history

Historically speaking,

Pope of Alexandria to this day includes the Pentapolis in his title as an area within his jurisdiction.[4]

The Coptic congregations in several countries were under the ancient Eparchy of the

Western Pentapolis, which was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church for centuries until the 13th century.[5]

Modern

In 1971

Arsinoe
).

This was one among a chain of many restructuring of several eparchies by

Pope Shenouda III
, while some of them were incorporated into the jurisdiction of others, especially those who were within an uncovered region or which were part of a Metropolis that became extinct, or by dividing large eparchies into smaller more manageable eparchies. This was also a part of the restructuring of the Church as a whole.

Churches

There are three Coptic Orthodox Churches in Libya: one in

Benghazi, Libya (Saint Antonios - two priests), and one in Misrata, Libya (Saint Mary and Saint George).[6][7]

Persecution

In February 2014, seven Coptic Christians were dragged out of their houses in the middle of the night, then murdered on a beach, east of Benghazi.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. A video of the killing of 21 men, in which threats are made to "the nation of the cross", was released to the internet on 15 February 2015.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Morgan, Falola & Oyeniyi 2012, p. 40.
  2. ^ Morgan, Falola & Oyeniyi 2012, pp. 40–41.
  3. ^ De regno 3; De insomniis 9; Hymns III.431.
  4. ^ Atiya, Aziz. "The Copts and Christian Civilization". Coptic.net. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  5. ^ History of the Coptic Church, by Father Menassa Youhanna
  6. ^ Libyan Heritage House website, Retrieved 2023-06-26
  7. ^ Coptic Orthodox Church Listings for Libya, p. 136 Archived July 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Egyptian Christians found shot execution-style on Libyan beach| Reuters website
  9. ^ "Christians Mark Anniversary of 21 Beheaded Copts in ISIS' 'Message to Nation of the Cross'". Retrieved 25 May 2018.

Sources
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