Coptic Catholic Church
| Coptic Catholic Church | |
| Classification | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Eastern Catholic, Alexandrian Rite |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Organizational structure | Patriarchal |
| Leader | Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak |
| Associations | Congregation for the Oriental Churches |
| Geographical areas | Egypt, with communities in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America |
| Headquarters | Cairo |
| Separated from | Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria |
| Branched from | Catholic Church |
| Congregations | 161 (2010) |
| Members | 163,630 (2010) |
| Ministers | 243[1] |
| Official website | coptcatholic.net |
|
The Coptic Catholic Church is an Alexandrian Rite particular Church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Historically, it represents a schism from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, its adherents having left the Orthodox church to enter into communion with Rome.
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 (Our Lady of Egypt) is in Nasr City, a suburb of Cairo.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
At the Council of Florence on February 4, 1442, a Coptic Orthodox delegation signed the Cantate Domino, a document for the formal union with the Roman Catholic Church. With little support in Egypt, the document had no effect. In the 1600s, missionaries, primarily Franciscans, started to come to the Copts. In 1630, a Cairo mission of the Capuchin Order was founded. The Jesuits came in 1675.[2] In 1713, the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria again submitted to Rome, but as in 1442, the union was not of long duration.[3]
In 1741, Coptic Bishop Anba Athanasius of Jerusalem became a Catholic.[3] In 1781, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XIV as Vicar Apostolic of the less than 2,000 Egyptian Coptic Catholics.[2] Eventually, Athanasius returned to the Coptic Orthodox Church and others served as Catholic Vicar Apostolic.[2]
[edit] Patriarchate
Under the assumption that the Ottoman viceroy wanted a Catholic Patriarch for the Coptic Catholics in 1824, the Pope established the Patriarchate of Alexandria[2] from the Apostolic Vicariate of Syria, Egypt, Arabia and Cyprus[4] but it was basically titular.[2] The Ottomans in 1829 allowed the Coptic Catholics to build their own churches.[2]
The number of Catholics of this Rite increased to the point that Leo XIII in 1895 restored the Catholic patriarchate.[3] He initially named Bishop Cyril Makarios as Patriarchal Vicar. Makarios then presided over a synod which lead 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[2] and was administered by Apostolic Administrator.[4]
[edit] Religious orders
The Catholic Coptic Church does not have Coptic monasteries. Instead the Church has religious congregations such as the three communities for women: 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.[2]
[edit] Educational and health services
Most candidates for the priesthood are trained at St. Leo's Patriarchal Seminary, in suburban Cairo. More than 100 Coptic Catholic parishes administer primary schools, and some have secondary schools as well. The church maintains a hospital, a number of medical dispensaries and clinics, and several orphanages.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
| Part of a series on the |
| Eastern Catholics |
|---|
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| Alexandrian-rite Churches |
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| West Syrian rite Churches |
| Armenian-rite Churches |
| Byzantine-rite Churches |
| East Syrian rite Churches |
 Catholicism portal |
- List of Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria
- Eastern Catholicism
- Monasticism
- Oriental Orthodox Church
[edit] References
- ^ Roberson, Ronald G.. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2010". Eastern Catholic Churches Statistics. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat10.pdf. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Roberson, Ronald G.. "The Coptic Catholic Church". Eastern Catholic Churches. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=63&IndexView&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Churches "Eastern Churches". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Eastern Churches.
- ^ a b "Patriarchal See of Alexandria". Catholic Dioceses in the World. Giga Catholic Information. http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/diocese/alex0.htm. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
[edit] External links
- Coptic Catholic website.
- Article on "Life in a Coptic Catholic Village"
- "Italian-language video on the Coptic Catholic Church"
- "Video of the ordination of Coptic Catholic deacons"
