| |
COPTIC ORTHODOXY
Courtesy of Michael Youssef.
The Official
Coptic Orthodox Cross, the Coptic letters read an abbreviated form
of “Jesus Christ the Son of God”
How it came to be
The Coptic Orthodox Church was established when the Catholic Church,
the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodox Church (which the
Coptic Orthodox Church leads) were one Church body. Each major
Christian province was reigned by a Patriarch, these provinces where
Alexandria, Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinople. I had an interview
with a Coptic Orthodox Priest who explained to me about how the
Church came to be and how the other churches divided away from The
Coptic Orthodox Church. A heretic from Alexandria named Arius began
to spread that Christ is only human and not divine. In addition to
that he also stated that the Son of God was not eternal and was
subordinate to God the Father. Arius had the support of 25 bishops
in Alexandria. Another heretic named Nestorius who was at the time
the Patriarch of Constantinople went to the other extreme claiming
that Jesus was not at all human but only divine and also attempted
to remove St. Mary of her title of Mother of God (Greek=Theotokos)
and instead make her Mother of Christ (Greek= Christokos) claiming
that a God cannot be born from a mortal and that Christ once
baptized transformed into God leaving no traces of Humanity. The
Coptic Orthodox Church never followed either Arius’ or Nestorius’
heresies although many people of Christendom believed their claims.
The Patriarch of Alexandria at the time St. Athanasius is famously
quoted when an associate said to him “Your holiness but the whole
world is against you on this matter” he replied “If the whole world
is against me then I am against the whole world”. The Patriarch is
venerated a Saint by the Oriental Orthodox Church, The Eastern
Orthodox Church and The Catholic Church for his opposition to
Arianism and Necorism. The Coptic Orthodox Church became an
individual church in 451 A.D because of a misunderstanding between
the main Christian provinces about Christ’s nature another heretic
named Eutyches claimed that Christ had two separate natures a Divine
nature and a Human Nature he was immediately branded a heretic by
the churches, at a gathering of Churches called the Council of
Chalcedon there was a theological misunderstanding between the
churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church
left The Coptic Orthodox Church because they believed that we
followed Eutyches’ heresy and to this day The Coptic Church
professes that they do not and never have supported the heresy. This
is reinstated during “The Confession” near the end of every Holy
Liturgy, which is just before the partaking of the Holy Communion;
the priest says “Truly I believe that His Divinity did not part from
His Humanity not for an instant or a twinkle of an eye.” The Priest
that I was interviewing explained that if Christianity was like a
tree Coptic Orthodoxy would be the main trunk and the other
denominations are the branches branching away from the main trunk.
Since then The Churches have never managed to unite. The union of
the churches is one of the prior aims of the current pope of the See
of Saint Mark, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. His Holiness in 1973
made a historic visit to the Vatican and held a meeting with Pope
Paul VI this was the first time a Coptic Patriarch has visited a
Catholic Pope since the great schism of 451 A.D both popes signed a
common declaration of faith. Moreover in 1987 His Holiness visited
the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury signing a mutual agreement of
unity.
Christianity’s Arrival and Progression within Egypt
Before the death of Jesus, Egypt was a pagan country, however
approximately 10 years after the death of Jesus in A.D 42; St. Mark
the Apostle, Evangelist and the writer of Mark’s Gospel entered
Egypt and began to preach about Christ’s Gospel to the people of
Egypt. He managed to convert some of the people of Egypt into
Christians although still in a minority they established a church
and a Papacy. The Christians were persecuted in Egypt and eventually
the pagan’s martyred him for turning people away from the idols. St.
Mark’s evangelic sign of recognition is a lion; this came to be
after people were told that St. Mark performed a miracle where he
managed to tame a wild lion that was going to kill him and his
father, as illustrated in the icon of St. Mark there is a lion’s
head on the Gospel he is holding. Since then there have been 116
successor Popes to St. Mark.
Since his death Christianity in Egypt became wide spread and it
became the biggest religious faith in Egypt. For almost 2000 years
until 1955 Egypt was under foreign rule and Christians were
constantly being tortured, martyred and oppressed by all the foreign
rulers who were infuriated by their refusal to worship their gods
and idols. In the west the dates start from the birth of Christ
“Anno Domino” the Coptic Calendar starts from A.D 284 when Emperor
Diocletian killed masses of Christians “Anno Martyrum” (the years of
the martyrs). The Coptic people are very proud of their Apostolic
foundations and are also keen to point out the prophecies in Isaiah
that relate to Egypt for example,” In that day there will be an
altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to
the Lord at its border.”(19.19) “Blessed is Egypt my People” (19:25)
Coptic Churches
Coptic Churches in every part of the world are very elaborate and
ornate. The churches are very archaic and try to imitate almost
exactly how the Church acted from the beginning of Christianity it
achieves this by passing down traditions such as old hymns and
teaching the youth how to serve in the altar. Icons are found almost
everywhere within the church the Coptic Icons have a very specific
style of Coptic art that is used universally within the churches,
they are deliberately made to look unrealistic and out of proportion
to some extent “cartoony” this is to differentiate the icons from
idols making sure nobody worships it or prays to the imagery
directly.
In between the congregation and the altar lies a large iconostasis,
representing a line between Heaven and Earth along the top row of
the iconostasis are icons of the twelve disciples six on the left
and six on the right in between the icons of the disciples is an
illustration of the Last Supper and on top of the Last Supper is
Jesus on the cross next to St. John and St. Mary. Underneath the
disciples and the Last Supper are a few illustrations which vary
from church to church it usually consists of a picture St. Mark, St.
Mary with an infant Jesus, Jesus’ baptism, Archangel Michael and
Archangel Gabriel’s Announcement to St. Mary about her conception.
Where the Altar stands there is a large painting of God Almighty or
in Greek and Coptic “Pantokrator” with the four heavenly beasts as
told in the book of Revelations. In the Church when there are images
of God the Father or God the Son it is usually accompanied by the
Greek letters Alpha “A” and Omega “W” because in the Gospels Jesus
said he was the Alpha and Omega and this phrase also appears in
revelation. In the image of God Almighty you can see two angels
holding up a circle with these to letters in it.
The Clergymen who are performing the mass will still use a censor
which contains incense made up of myrrh which is being burned by
charcoal to create a fragrant smoke, when the priest is raising this
smoke incense in the air it is representing people’s prayers and
supplications to God, also during the mass the priest shakes the
censor towards the saints’ icons representing a pleading for
intercessions. Men and women are aligned at separate parts of the
church and when someone needs to go past the iconostasis they must
take off there shoes. The Church always takes conservative views
when it comes to controversial contemporary issues; in much the same
way as the Roman Catholic Church they take hostility to
homosexuality and fornication.
Clergy and Monasticism
Monasticism according to Coptic tradition, St. Abba Antony who was
born in 25 A.D heard a voice from the Gospel saying “If you want to
be perfect, go, sell what you have and give it to the poor and you
will have treasures in Heaven: and come follow me” (Matthew 19:21).
So he went to the outskirts of the city living an ascetic life
praying in solitude. The Church says he established a monastery when
more and more men came to worship with him. Until this day
Monasticism is central to the church with hundreds of monasteries
set up around Egypt. To become ordained a priest in The Church if
you are unmarried you will usually go to the monastery. Once you
have lived there for a few years you are eligible to be ordained a
priest.
The Liturgy
The Liturgy used in the Coptic Orthodox Church was devised By St.
Basil who lived in the eighth century. The Church strongly believes
that when a liturgy is being performed the altar becomes Heaven and
according to the Church a few people have been blessed to see what
is really happening in the altar and they can see the altar full of
Angels, Martyrs and Saints. The Holy Liturgy officially starts the
night before at the evening raising of incense. The Liturgy usually
lasts between 2 and 3 hours, it is split to several sections.
The Offertory of Oblation, the bread and wine are chosen and
prepared for the Eucharist. In Coptic Tradition all members of the
Church as long as they are baptized are given both bread and wine.
Listening to the Word of God: First a reading from one of Paul’s
Epistles, a reading from an Epistle other than St. Paul, a reading
from the Book of Acts, a reading from The Synaxarium (biography of
Saints) then a reading from The Gospel. The readings of the Epistles
and Acts are read normally but the Gospel is read in a special tune.
Straight after the readings a sermon is said about the Gospel.
The Reconciliation and the Anaphora which is read by the priest with
various Deacon Responses which is about the Story of Christianity
from the Old to the New Testament and how the world became
reconciled with Christ after the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
The Transubstantiation, this is the part where The Church believes
the bread and wine transform into The Body and Blood of Christ.
After this is a Commemoration of Saints remembering the saints. Then
the Confession where the priests confesses our belief in Christ.
Next is the partaking of Holy Communion then the Liturgy has
finished.
|
|
