Coptic Pope?

[BjBarnett]

Hello everyone!

Ive heard people talk about a "Coptic Pope". Is there really a Coptic Pope? If so is it in the same fashion as the Catholic pope? thank in advanced.

 

[CopticGirl]

The Pope of the Coptic Church is H.H. Pope Shenouda III. To be honest I don't know to much about the Catholic Pope, but just as Pope John Paul is the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Shenouda is the head of the Coptic Church.

Here is a biography on Pope Shenouda, along with some other info on the Coptic Church:
http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/pope/#Biography

What I do know, is just as Pope John Paul is the successor of St. Peter, Pope Shenouda is the 117th successor of St. Mark, who is the founder of our church.

One difference that I did notice when discussing with Catholics, is as the Catholic Pope is considered infallible, we do not believe our Pope is.

Hope this helps at all, let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless

 

[BjBarnett]

The Pope of the Coptic Church is H.H. Pope Shenouda III. To be honest I don't know to much about the Catholic Pope, but just as Pope John Paul is the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Shenouda is the head of the Coptic Church.

Here is a biography on Pope Shenouda, along with some other info on the Coptic Church:
http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/pope/#Biography

What I do know, is just as Pope John Paul is the successor of St. Peter, Pope Shenouda is the 117th successor of St. Mark, who is the founder of our church.

One difference that I did notice when discussing with Catholics, is as the Catholic Pope is considered infallible, we do not believe our Pope is.

Hope this helps at all, let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless

thats cool. thanks for the link. i had no idea that you guys had a pope. thanks for the response!

 

[CopticGirl]

I'm happy to answer any questions you have. So many know so little about us, so I love to teach people about us.

God Bless

 

[BjBarnett]

Good, cause I have another question lol. Does your Pope have power over the entire church? Like outside of his diocese? I know the Anglicans consider the Bishop of Canterberry to be the head of there church but he has no power outside of his diocese.

 

[CopticGirl]

We do not claim that our Pope should be or is the head of all Christians or all Orthodox Christians even. He is the head of the entire Coptic Orthodox Church, and that is where his power ends. We do not claim that say for example an Armenian Orthodox Christian or Syrian Orthodox Christian should be or is under his jurisdiction, yet the Armenian Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Churches each have their own Patriarch, who is their head.

Keep em coming

God Bless

 

[Rilian]

My understanding was the title Pope had come from the word "Papa" and had a much more widespread use in the early church. Wikipedia says the following in its entry for the Pope:

The word "Pope" is derived from the Greek word pappas ("father") and was originally used in an affectionate sense of any priest or bishop (in the exact same way that modern priests are addressed as "Father"). In the fourth and fifth centuries, pappas (Latinized as papa, a form still preserved in Spanish and Portuguese) was still frequently used of any bishop in the West, although it gradually came to be increasingly restricted to its modern, exclusive use by the Bishop of Rome. In the East, especially in Greece and Russia, priests are still referred to as pappas.

As early as the third century, the Bishop of Alexandria exercised a high degree of central control of suffragan Egyptian bishops, in a manner consciously similar to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome; the Alexandrian archbishop was given precedence immediately after the Roman pontiff by the Council of Nicaea, and adopted the title "Pope of Alexandria," which still forms an integral part of the titles of the Greek Orthodox "Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa" and of the Coptic "Pope of Alexandria and of the See of Saint Mark the Apostle."

 

[QustantinahQuaker]

We do not claim that our Pope should be or is the head of all Christians or all Orthodox Christians even. He is the head of the entire Coptic Orthodox Church, and that is where his power ends. We do not claim that say for example an Armenian Orthodox Christian or Syrian Orthodox Christian should be or is under his jurisdiction, yet the Armenian Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Churches each have their own Patriarch, who is their head.

Keep em coming

God Bless

The Syrian Orthodox Church has it's own Pope; Pope Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. He is sometimes called Pope.

 

[CopticGirl]

The Syrian Orthodox Church has it's own Pope; Pope Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. He is sometimes called Pope.

I didn't know that. I thought all the other Orthodox Churches called them Patriarchs. I guess I was wrong! Although Pope really is just another word for father.

God Bless

 

[Yeznik]

The Armenians don't have a pope, we have a Katholicos, or the Supreme Patriarch of the Church.

 

[CopticGirl]

Here are some pictures of the Oriental Orthodox Church leaders:

The 7th Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. H. H. Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I, H. H. Pope Shenouda III and H. H. Catholicos Aram I.

God Bless

 

[Irish Melkite]

The Syrian Orthodox Church has it's own Pope; Pope Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. He is sometimes called Pope.

Qustantinah,

In my experience, I have never seen or heard His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch & All the East, styled as Pope.

The usage, although historically applied to bishops and priests as indicated by the piece that Rilian quoted, is presently restricted to:

• His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (his formal title, as best I recollect) (His Holiness has an exquisite website, www.copticpope.org, but it appears at the moment to have been hacked, something one hopes will be quickly remedied);
• His Holiness John Paul II, Pope of Rome; and,
• His Beatitude Theodoros II, (Greek Orthodox) Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria & All Africa.

All of the other presiding hierarchs of Oriental or Eastern Churches, Orthodox or Catholic, style themselves as either Patriarch or Catholicos.

Many years,

Neil

 

[QustantinahQuaker]

I have only heard him called Pope by a few people but I was just giving my hearings of it. Thank you for your informations!

 

[Kripost]

<snipped>

• His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (his formal title, as best I recollect) (His Holiness has an exquisite website, www.copticpope.org, but it appears at the moment to have been hacked, something one hopes will be quickly remedied);
  </snipped>

• 
  
  The full title of the Pope of Alexandria is pretty long:
  "His Beatitude, the Pope and the Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis of Ethiopia, all of the country of Egypt and Africa. Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds, High Priest of High Priests, the thirteenth one of the Apostles and judge of the Universe."
  
  As far as I know, both the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria and the Coptic Patriarch use the title. (I still find the last part pretty awsome)

 

[CopticGirl]

"His Beatitude, the Pope and the Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis of Ethiopia, all of the country of Egypt and Africa. Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds, High Priest of High Priests, the thirteenth one of the Apostles and judge of the Universe."

Not that I'm saying this title is incorrect, but I have never heard/read that title anywhere before. Within the church he is refered to as "H.H. Pope Shenouda III" and sometimes this end part added on--"Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria."

the thirteenth one of the Apostles and judge of the Universe.

As for this part, I don't really understand where they get the number 13. Could you explain. I know he is the 117th successor of St. Mark the Apostle, so it can't be refering to that.

God Bless

 

[Kripost]

Not that I'm saying this title is incorrect, but I have never heard/read that title anywhere before. Within the church he is refered to as "H.H. Pope Shenouda III" and sometimes this end part added on--"Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria."

My mistake... it appears only the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria uses this title.

As for this part, I don't really understand where they get the number 13. Could you explain. I know he is the 117th successor of St. Mark the Apostle, so it can't be refering to that.

God Bless

The thirteenth apostle can refer to anyone who was not one of the Twelve, but also did the work of the apostles. Some notable examples would be St. Mary Magdelene, St. Constantine. In this case i think it refers to St Mark.

 

[CopticGirl]

My mistake... it appears only the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria uses this title.

Okay, Thanks...I was wondering where you got that title from.

 

[feo]

Here are some pictures of the Oriental Orthodox Church leaders:

The 7th Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. H. H. Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I, H. H. Pope Shenouda III and H. H. Catholicos Aram I.

God Bless

I wish their clothing had brighter colors.

 

[Irish Melkite]

I wish their clothing had brighter colors.

Feo,

I think you have to realize that these are what would typically be thought of, in Western terms, as routine clerical vesture, as opposed to the vestments they would don when celebrating the Liturgy or performing other ceremonial duties. For example

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia

Many years,

Neil

 

[feo]

Feo,

I think you have to realize that these are what would typically be thought of, in Western terms, as routine clerical vesture, as opposed to the vestments they would don when celebrating the Liturgy or performing other ceremonial duties. For example

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia

Many years,

Neil

Ohhhh I see; so the darker bland clothing is for.. everyday wear and tear... whereas the colorful outfits are more for the liturgy?

(hehe please excuse my ignorance! I know nothing about this stuff!)