Egyptian Coptic Church: History, Beliefs and Rites

The Coptic Church of Egypt is the largest Christian church in Egypt. According to tradition, the church was established by Saint Mark, an apostle and evangelist, in the middle of the 1^st century.The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different position over Christological theology from that of other Churches. It mainly concerned with the nature of Christ. Nowadays the Coptic Pope seat is Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia District in Cairo.The contributions of this Church to Christianity are: The Catechetical School of Alexandria, Monasticism and its missionary work, Role and participation of Coptic Fathers in the Ecumenical Councils. The Coptic Church believes in the Holy Trinity: God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. And that they are equal to each other in one unity. They also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world. They know Virgin Mary as the mother of God. Their sacred Text are The Bible and the Liturgy of St. Basil. Copts also believe in seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, confession, Eucharist, matrimony, ordination, and unction of the sick. Copts practice fasting and venerate angels, saints, martyrs and icons. They celebrate some feasts for them. There is a strong relationship between Popes and monks. Popes usually have been chosen from the monks. We can find the influence of many coptic artistic elements in present Egypt.