US Copts supporting Christians in Egypt
Egyptian Christians living in the U.S. said Monday that they are horrified by violence that has erupted against Copts back home, including a deadly assault on those trying to stage a peaceful protest in Cairo in response to an attack on a church.
Coptic Christian Immigrant in NYC Fears for Future of Family Back in Egypt
A childhood of persecution in Egypt shaped one Coptic Christian’s adult life in the United States, as he looks for ways to save relatives from Muslim fundamentalism back home.
Archdeacon Habeeb Girgis and the Renaissance of the Coptic Orthodox Church
Few would dispute that the Coptic Church, which was founded by St. Mark the evangelist, began its modern renaissance towards the latter half of the nineteenth century, after many centuries of darkness. A darkness which was forced upon her by two major historical events. The first of which were the woeful decisions of the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.) which separated her from the rest of Christiandom. The second was the Arab conquest of Egypt – …
Diocese Welcomes His Grace Bishop Youssef to speak about "Egyptian Christians in America"
The Diocese joyfully announces the upcoming visit of His Grace Bishop Youssef, the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of the Southern United States, in which His Grace will present a lecture entitled "Living Between Two Worlds: Egyptian Christians in America" on December 1 at Claremont Graduate University from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. From the university’s promotional material: Culture consists of socially acquired information through beliefs, values, knowledge, ideas, etc. that impact one’s behavior and attitude especially in – …
Prostrations According to the Coptic Orthodox Church Rite
An excerpt from the Book, Spirituality of the Rites of the Holy Liturgy, pp. 45-54 The Coptic Church, in its humble and meek spirit, teaches her children three types of prostration, or metanias (bowing). These are: prostrations of worship, repentance, and honor. 1. Prostrations of Worship These are the prostrations offered to God during our individual or public worship, such as at the beginning of each of the hourly prayers when we say “Lord have – …
The Honor Due to a Priest
Whoever honors the priest will honor God, and he who has learned to despise the priest will gradually proceed in time to insult God also. ‘He who receives you receives Me.’ [Mt. 10:40]. And it is written, ‘But hold His priests in honor.’ [Sir. 7:31]. Hence, the Jews learned to despise God because they despised Moses and would have stoned him [cf. 17:4]. And when someone acts reverently towards a priest, he will be much – …
Saint Mark and the Church of Alexandria
The Greatness of Alexandria Alexandria was the cultural capital of the world when St. Mark arrived there. Its famous School was the centre of science and philosophy with a library filled with hundreds of thousands of books. The population of Alexandria was estimated to be from half to three quarters of a million,(1) who were Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, Romans, Ethiopians, Nubians and other races. Its Religious Status The people St. Mark faced were a complex – …
The Role of Women in the Church (Part III)
THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS Oftentimes in our Church girls wonder why they can not be ordained as deaconesses. It is hard to argue against their ability to learn and chant the hymnology of the Church (al-han) as well as the boys. In order to answer this question, as Orthodox Christians, we have to clarify the service (ministry) of the ordained deacon (male diaconate), as well as discuss the service (ministry) of the deaconess (female diaconate) – …
From the Recommendations of The Committee for the Affairs of the Monasteries
There is an increase in the number of individuals, who pose as monks, and despite being stripped of their monastic order, persist in wearing the monastic garments. Therefore the committee recommends “that the fathers the metropolitans and bishops should make their priests and flock aware that these individuals should not be dealt with nor accepted in the homes. It is also necessary to confirm who the person wearing the monastic or clerical garment really is. – …
The Orthodox Dialogue
Thirty theologians from the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches met in the Halls of the Holy Cross Church of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in Damascus, Syria from February 2-5, 1998. The Opening session was blessed and honored by the presence of H.B. Patriarch Ignatius IV, Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and H.H. Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East. The – …
Protocol Between The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Eritrian Orthodox Church
INTRODUCTION The two Churches are linked by very intimate relations since the early Centuries of Christianity, as both are daughters of St. Mark the Apostle. Such link was realized when St. Athanasius, the Apostolic, the 20th Pope of Alexandria, consecrated Frumentius in the year 329 A.D to be the first bishop of Eritrea and Ethiopia, on the request of the two Christian kings Abraha and Atsbeha. He was given the name of Abba Salama and started his – …
The Church’s Perspective on Stem Cell Research
Introduction Stem cell research has become one of decisive issues in the current presidential election. President George W. Bush’s policy is to restrict federal funding to embryonic stem cell research. In August 2002, the president decided to restrict federal funding to embryonic stem cell lines that had already been created. Bush’s policy restricted embryonic stem cell research to the clusters of cells derived from frozen embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. President – …