The Coptic Catholic Church, also known as the Coptic Catholic Church of Alexandria, is an Eastern Catholic particular church in full communion with the Catholic Church. Along with the Ethiopian Catholic Church and Eritrean Catholic Church, it belongs to the Alexandrian liturgical tradition. Uniquely among the Alexandrian Rite Eastern Catholic liturgies, the Coptic Catholic Church uses the Coptic Rite and the Coptic language (derived from Ancient Egyptian) in its liturgy; the Ethiopian Catholic Church and Eritrean Catholic Church use the Geʽez Rite.

The current Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria is Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, who replaced Antonios Naguib in 2013. The offices of the patriarchate are located in Cairo. The patriarchal Cathedral of Our Lady of Egypt is in Nasr City, a suburb of Cairo.

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, 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.

In the 17th century, at the behest of Pope Urban VIII, Catholic missionaries (primarily Franciscans) started to come to Egypt. In 1630, a number of missions of the Capuchin Order were founded in the Levant by Joseph of Paris, including in Cairo. Attempts to excommunicate Catholic offenders in the city were seemingly fruitless.

In 1741, the Coptic bishop, Anba Athanasius of Jerusalem, became a Catholic. In 1781, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XIV as vicar apostolic of the fewer than 2,000 Egyptian Coptic Catholics. but it was basically titular.

The number of Catholics of this rite increased to the point that Pope Leo XIII in 1895 restored the Catholic patriarchate.

Patriarch:

  • Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, Patriarch of Alexandria (since 2013)

Eparchial Bishops:

  • Emmanuel Bishay, Bishop of Luqsor, Apostolic Visitor in Europe (since 2016)
  • Toma Adly Zaki, Bishop of Guizeh (since 2019)
  • Basilios Fawzy Al-Dabe, Bishop of Minya (since 2020)
  • Bechara Giuda, OFM, Bishop of Abu Qurqas (since 2020)
  • Thomas Halim Habib, Bishop of Sohag (since 2021)
  • Daniel Lotfy Khella, Bishop of Assiut, Apostolic Visitator in Oceania and the Gulf Countries (since 2022)
  • Pola Ayoub Matta Usama Shafik Akhnoukh, Bishop of Ismayliah, Apostolic Visitator in the United States and Canada (since 2023)
  • Morqos Thomas Esam William Bolos Faragalla, Bishop of Al Qusia (since 2023)

Curial Bishop:

  • Hani Bakhoum Kiroulos, Titular Bishop of Cabasa, Curial of Alexandria (since 2019)

Emeritus Hierarchs:

  • Makarios Tewfik, Bishop Emeritus of Ismayliah (since 2019)
  • Antonios Aziz Mina, Bishop Emeritus of Guizeh (since 2017)
  • Youssef Aboul-Kheir, Bishop Emeritus of Sohag (since 2019)
  • Kamal Fahim Awad Boutros Hanna, Bishop Emeritus of Minya (since 2020)

Religious orders

The Coptic Catholic Church does not have Coptic monasteries. Instead the church has religious congregations such as the three communities for women: the Society of the Sacred Heart (actually known as the "Sisters of the Sacred Heart"), the Coptic Sisters of Jesus and Mary (both based in Egypt) and the Egyptian province of the Little Sisters of Jesus. There is also a community of male Franciscans and Jesuits.

Ecumenism

Relations between the Coptic Catholic Church and the larger Coptic Orthodox Church are generally very good.

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

References

  • 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