Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria

Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria

بطريركة الإسكندرية للأقباط الكاثوليك
Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria ; بطريركة الإسكندرية للأقباط الكاثوليك
Catholic
	Sidrak in 2014.
	Coat of arms
	Incumbent:; Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak ; elected 15 January, 2013
Location
Country	Egypt
Headquarters	Cairo, Egypt
Information
First holder	Mark the Evangelist (As the first bishop of the See of Alexandria); Athanasios (As Apostolic Vicar); Kyrillos Makarios (As the first Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria)
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Coptic Catholic Church
Rite	Coptic rite
Established	1824
Cathedral	Our Lady of Egypt
Language	Coptic, Arabic
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Patriarch	Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak
Auxiliary Bishops	Bechara Guida (Abu Qirqas); Morqos Thomas Esam William (El Quseyya); Daniel Lotfy (Assiut); Pola Ayoub Matta (Ismailia); Basilios Fawzy (Minya); Thomas Halim Habib (Sohag); Emmanuel Bishay (Luxor)
Website
	catholic-eg.com

Last updated September 06, 2025

The Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria is the sole metropolitan see of the Coptic Catholic Church, a sui iuris particular church in full communion with the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It follows the Alexandrian Rite in its own Coptic language. Its archbishop is the superior of all Coptic Catholic dioceses, which are located in and around Egypt.

History

It had three false starts, each failing to prove enduring.

In 1741 a precursor Catholic Apostolic vicariate was established for Alexandria for Coptic Christians wanting to unite with the Holy See.
On 15 August 1824 a Patriarchal See of Alexandria / Alexandrin(us) Coptorum (Latin) was established on Egyptian territory, split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Syria, Egypt, Arabia and Cyprus.
On 26 November 1895 it was restored as Patriarchal See of Alexandria / Alexandrin(us) Coptorum (Latin), again on Egyptian territory, split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt.

In 1947 it was restored for good. It lost territories in Egypt repeatedly to establish suffragan sees of Alexandria as Metropolitan:

on 17 December 1982 the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Ismayliah
on 21 March 2003 the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Guizeh.

It enjoyed Papal visits from Pope John Paul II in February 2000 and from Pope Francis in April 2017.

Rank

The patriarchal see as such ranks third among all Catholic (arch)bishoprics of the world (only after the Apostolic See of Rome and the Catholic Patriarch of Constantinople), by the virtue of Canon Law (CCEO 58, 59.2).

Proper diocese

His proper (arch)eparchy is the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Alexandria, which has no other Ordinary than the Patriarch. However, he may appoint an Auxiliary bishop for the eparchy, distinct from Auxiliaries for the Patriarchate, as was the case with:

Youhanna Kabès (7 June 1958 – died 28 June 1985), Titular Bishop of Cleopatris (7 June 1958 – 28 June 1985).

As of 2014, it served 35,865 Eastern Catholics in 31 parishes with 73 priests (41 diocesan, 32 religious), 209 lay religious (65 brothers, 144 sisters) and 5 seminarians.

It enjoyed a Papal visit from Pope Francis in April 2017.

Bishops

Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria and precursor Apostolic Vicars

Coptic Catholic Apostolic Vicars

Athanasios (1741–1744?)
Giusto Marsghi (1744?–1748)
Jakub Římař OFM (1748–1751) (Jacques de Kremsier)
Paolo d'Angnone (1751–1757)
Giuseppe de Sassello (1757–1761)
Roche Abou Kodsi Sabak de Ghirgha (1761–1778); (1781); (1783–1785)
Gervais d'Ormeal (1778–1781)
Jean Farargi (1781–1783)
Bishai Nosser (1785–1787)
Michelangelo Pacelli de Tricario (1787–1788)
Mathieu Righet (1788–1822)
Maximos Jouwed (1822–1831) (also carried the title of Patriarch starting 1824)
Théodore Abu Karim (1832–1855)
Athanasios Kyriakos Khouzam (1855–1864)
Agapios Bishai (1866–1876)
- Antoun di Marco (1876–1887) (visiting apostolic vicar)
- Antoun Nabad (1887–1889) (provicar)
- Simon Barraia (1889–1892) (provicar)
- Antoun Kabes (1892–1895) (provicar)
Kyrillos Makarios (1895–1899) (apostolic administrator and Patriarchal vicar, Patriarch starting 1899)

Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria

Patriarchate established in 1824 (by Pope Leo XII)

Maximos Jouwed, also known as Maximos Givaid (15 August 1824 – died 30 August 1831), Titular Bishop of Uthina (9 March 1824 – 15 August 1824)
Vacant (1831–1899)
- Apostolic Administrator Théodore Abou-Karim (22 June 1832 – died 28 September 1855), Titular Bishop of Alia (22 June 1832 – 28 September 1855), no other prelature
- Apostolic Administrator Athanase Khouzan (2 October 1855 – died 17 February 1864), Titular Bishop of Maronia (2 October 1855 – 17 February 1864), no other prelature
- Apostolic Administrator Abraham Agabio Bsciai (27 February 1866 – 1878), Titular Bishop of Cariopolis (27 February 1866 – 20 February 1887), no other prelature
- Apostolic Administrator Cyrillus Macaire = Kyrillos Makarios (18 March 1895 – 19 June 1899 see below), Titular Bishop of Cæsarea Paneas (15 March 1895 – 19 June 1899)
Kyrillos Makarios = Cyrillus Macaire (1899–1908) (resigned)
Vacant (1908–1947)
- Apostolic Administrator (Joseph-)Maxime Sedfaoui (1908 – 13 January 1925)
- Apostolic Administrator Marc Khouzam = Markos Khouzam (30 December 1927 – 10 August 1947 see below)
Markos II Khouzam (see above 10 August 1947 – died 2 February 1958)
Stéphanos I Sidarouss, Lazarists (C.M.) (10 May 1958 - retired 24 May 1986) (Cardinal in 1965), died 1987
- Patriarchal Vicar: Athanasios Abadir (18 May 1976 – 17 December 1982), Titular Bishop of Appia (18 May 1976 – 17 December 1982); next Eparch (Bishop) of Ismayliah of the Copts (Egypt) (17 December 1982 – died 25 May 1992)
Stéphanos II Ghattas (23 June 1986 – retired 30 March 2006) (Cardinal in 2001), died 2009
- Auxiliary Bishop: Youhanna Golta (27 July 1986 – 1997), Titular Bishop of Andropolis (27 July 1986 – present); next Bishop of Curia of the Copts (1997–2020)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Andraos Salama (1 November 1988 – 1997), Titular Bishop of Barca (1 November 1988 – 21 March 2003); next Eparch (Bishop) of Guizeh of the Copts (Egypt) (21 March 2003 – died 6 December 2005)
Antonios I Naguib (7 April 2006 – retired 15 January 2013) (Cardinal in 2010), died 2022
Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak (18 January 2013 – present)

Curial bishops

Youhanna Golta (1997-2020)
Antonios Aziz Mina (2002-2006), confirmed Bishop of Guizeh (Coptic)
Kamal Fahim Awad (Boutros) Hanna (2006-2013), confirmed Bishop of Minya {Ermopoli Maggiore; Minieh} (Coptic)
Hani Nassif Wasef Bakhoum Kiroulos (2019-)

Sources and external links

List of all Coptic Patriarchs of Alexandria by GCatholic.org
GCatholic - Proper Eparchy of Alexandria

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v t e Patriarchs of Alexandria
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodoulos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gaianus Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Nilus Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
Latin Catholic (1276–1954)	Atanasio (Athanasius) Egidio da Ferrara (Giles) ?Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne Juan (John) Guillaume de Chanac Arnaud Bernard du Pouget (Arnaldo Bernardi) uncanonical Jean de Cardaillac Pietro Amely di Brunac ? Johannes Walteri von Sinten uncanonical Simon of Cramaud Pietro Amely di Brunac Leonardo Dolfin Ugo Roberti Pietro Amaury di Lordat Lancelotus de Navarra Giovanni Contarini Pietro Vitalis di Mauléon Giovanni Vitelleschi Marco Condulmer Jean d'Harcourt Arnaldo Rogerii de Palas Pedro de Urrea Pedro González de Mendoza Diego Hurtado de Mendoza Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo Bernardino Carafa Cesare Riario Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora Ottaviano Maria Sforza Julius Gonzaga Cristoforo Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte Jacques Cortès Tommaso Alessandro Riario Enrico Caetani Giovanni Battista Albani Camillo Caetani Séraphin Olivier-Razali Alessandro di Sangro Honoratus Caetani Federico Borromeo Allesandro Crescenzi Aloysius Bevilacqua Petrus Draghi Bartoli Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia Carlo Ambrosio Mezzabarba Filippo Carlo Spada Girolamo Crispi Giuseppe Antonio Davanzati Lodovico Agnello Anastasi Francisco Mattei Augustus Foscolo Paolo Angelo Ballerini Domenico Marinangeli Paolo de Huyn Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto
Melkite Catholic (1724–present)	Cyril VI Tanas Athanasius IV Jawhar Maximos II Hakim Theodosius V Dahan Athanasius IV Jawhar Cyril VII Siaj Agapius II Matar Ignatius IV Sarrouf Athanasius V Matar Macarius IV Tawil Ignatius V Qattan Maximos III Mazloum Clement Bahouth Gregory II Youssef-Sayur Peter IV Geraigiry Cyril VIII Geha Demetrius I Qadi Cyril IX Moghabghab Maximos IV Sayegh Maximos V Hakim Gregory III Laham Youssef I Absi
Coptic Catholic (1824–present)	Maximos Jouwed Kyrillos Makarios Stéphanos I Sidarouss Stéphanos II Ghattas Antonios I Naguib Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons