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| Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria | |
|---|---|
| Name | Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria |
| Incumbent | Pope Tawadros II |
| Incumbentsince | 18 November 2012 |
| Style | His Holiness |
| Church | Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria |
| See | Alexandria |
| Residence | Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo |
| Formation | 1st century |
| First | Saint Mark the Evangelist |
Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria
The Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria are the primates of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, tracing apostolic succession to Saint Mark the Evangelist and serving as spiritual leaders in Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and the global Coptic diaspora. They have intersected with figures and institutions such as the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Chalcedon, the Byzantine Empire, the Fatimid Caliphate, the Ayyubid dynasty, the Ottoman Empire, and modern states like the Kingdom of Egypt and the Arab Republic of Egypt. Their office connects to traditions and texts including the Coptic language, the Liturgy of Saint Basil, the Alexandrian Rite, the Catechetical School of Alexandria, and the patrimony of Pope Shenouda III and Pope Cyril VI.
The lineage begins with Saint Mark the Evangelist and unfolds through eras shaped by the Roman Empire, the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628, the Muslim conquest of Egypt, and the rule of dynasties like the Umayyad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Mamluk Sultanate, and the Ottoman Empire. Popes navigated theological controversies at councils such as the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon, contributing to the distinct Monophysite position associated with Oriental Orthodoxy and bodies like the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Figures including Athanasius of Alexandria, Dionysius of Alexandria, Cyril of Alexandria, Severus of Antioch and later leaders such as Pope Shenouda III influenced relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and modern ecumenical organizations like the World Council of Churches.
Traditionally, candidates arose from monastic centers linked to institutions such as the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great, the Monastery of St. Anthony, and the Paromeos Monastery, reflecting ties to theologians like Origen and educators of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Selection has involved the clergy of the See of Alexandria, the laity of ancient Alexandria (ancient) and modern Cairo, and, in recent times, commissions influenced by state actors including the Egyptian Ministry of Interior only insofar as civic law interacts with ecclesiastical practice. Ordination rites draw on liturgical sources such as the Liturgy of Saint Gregory, the Liturgy of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, and manuscripts preserved in collections like the Nag Hammadi library and libraries of the Coptic Museum.
The pope bears titles reflecting jurisdictional claims that invoke historical centers: "Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark," connecting to Alexandria, Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the ancient office of Patriarch. The office is comparable and contrasted with other primates such as the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Pope of Rome, the Patriarch of Antioch, and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. Popes have used honorifics and symbols tied to sites like Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo and artifacts housed in institutions like the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Prominent historical holders include Athanasius of Alexandria (defender at the First Council of Nicaea aftermath), Cyril of Alexandria (Fourth Ecumenical Council influence), Theophilus of Alexandria (predecessor context to the Hypatia episode), medieval leaders who faced the Crusades and the Mongol invasions, and modern figures such as Pope Cyril VI and Pope Shenouda III. Contemporary primates include Pope Tawadros II engaging with leaders like Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, Bartholomew I of Constantinople of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and ecumenical dialogues involving the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran World Federation.
The pope presides over liturgical life centered on rites like the Alexandrian Rite and the annual cycle commemorating saints such as Saint Anthony the Great and Saint Pachomius the Great, with liturgical books conserved alongside texts like the Didache and codices in the Bodleian Library and the British Museum. Administratively, the papacy oversees dioceses, monasteries, seminaries including the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary and institutions engaged with academic partners such as Al-Azhar University and international universities. The pope's authority intersects with canonical codes rooted in synods, canons debated at councils like the Council of Antioch and managed through bodies analogous to the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Relations span dialogues and disputes with the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Alexandria (disambiguation), the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Protestant denominations including the Presbyterian Church and Methodist Church of Great Britain. Ecumenical engagement has involved meetings with leaders from the World Council of Churches, bilateral talks with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and historical tensions from chalcedonian schisms tied to councils like Chalcedon.
The succession list begins with Saint Mark the Evangelist and extends through early figures such as Anianus of Alexandria, Petrus I of Alexandria, and Demetrius of Alexandria; patristic luminaries including Athanasius of Alexandria, Dioscorus of Alexandria and later medieval and modern popes culminating in Pope Cyril VI, Pope Shenouda III, and Pope Tawadros II. Canonical lists are preserved in chronicles of Socrates Scholasticus, Socrates of Constantinople, and Egyptian hagiographies, and are curated by repositories like the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles archives, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate records, and collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.