This article, dealing with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa, is about the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in African countries other than Egypt.
The Apostolic Throne of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is based in the ancient Alexandria, Egypt (which is in Africa). The jurisdiction of the Church of Alexandria extended, as per Canon law of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, to the Province of Egypt, Nubia and Pentapolis. Later on in expanded south to encompass all of what is now known as the Sudan.
Since the demise of the Latin (Roman) North African Archiepiscopate of Carthage (which covered all of North and West Africa, apart from Egypt, Pentapolis and Libya) in the 8th century, Alexandria became the sole Apostolic Throne in the entire continent of Africa (or what was known of it at that time). The historical evangelization of the Apostolic Throne of Alexandria in Africa, apart from Egypt, Pentapolis, Libya, Nubia and the Sudan, does extend to:
Ethiopia constituted a major archdiocese of the Church of Alexandria, which was always governed by an Egyptian Patriarchal Vicar in the rank of Archbishop since the 4th century, and named Abuna Salama by the Ethiopian Church. By 1929, the Alexandrine Throne allowed the Ethiopian clergy to participate in the governing of their own Church, and the first native Ethiopian archbishop was enthroned in 1930 (thus becoming an autonomous church). In 1959, an agreement was reached between the Ethiopian Holy Synod and the Alexandrine Throne to have their own Patriarch-Catholicos in a transitional period. The Ethiopian Archbishop ordained as Primate of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church back in 1950, was elevated by the Coptic OrthodoxPope Joseph II of Alexandria in Cairo and enthroned in Addis Ababa by the members of the Ethiopian Holy Synod and an Alexandrine delegation. The first Prelate, Abuna Basilius I (1959-1971), Patriarch-Catholicos of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia, was ordained and enthroned in 1959, by Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria.
The relation between the two churches improved significantly upon the signing of common declaration by the two patriarchs and the visit of Abuna Paulos to Egypt and the visit of Pope Shenouda to Ethiopia.
Eritrea
Whose own Prelate, Abuna Philipos I (1998-2002), Patriarch of Asmara and of all Eritrea, was ordained and enthroned in May 1998, by Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. This made the new Patriarchate of Asmara and of all Eritrea a hierarchically and jurisdictionally independent "autocephalouspatriarchate" (Eritrean Orthodox Church). The Current Prelate, Abune Antonios I (2004-2022),[1] is the third Patriarch of Asmara and all Eritrea, who succeeded Yacob I (2003-2004) the second Patriarch of Asmara and all Eritrea. He was replaced by Abuna Discoros I in 2006. Both the Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of Asmara and all Eritrea acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria as both Patriarchates were established by the Throne of Alexandria and have their roots in the Apostolic Church of Alexandria, and acknowledge that Saint Mark the Apostle is the founder of their Churches through the heritage and Apostolic evangelization of the Fathers of Alexandria.
In other words, the Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of Asmara and all Eritrea are daughter Churches of the Holy Apostolic Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The Sudan
This country, which had both Egyptian expatriates and native adherents, is divided into two eparchies and whose prelates are:
Sarabamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Atbara, Um Durman and All the North of the Sudan and Titular Bishop of the Great and Ancient Metropolis of Nubia: Faras of Nobadia, Dongola of Makouria and Soba of Aloudia.
Elia (Elijah), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Khartoum and All the South of the Sudan.
The number of Coptic Sudanese is estimated around 200,000.
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Christianity spread to the Pentapolis of North Africa from Egypt;[2] Synesius of Cyrene (370-414), bishop of Ptolemais, received his instruction at Alexandria in both the Catechetical School and the Museion, and he entertained a great deal of reverence and affection for Hypatia, the last pagan Neoplatonists, whose classes he had attended. Synesius was raised to the episcopate by Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, in 410 A.D. Since the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., Cyrenaica had been recognized as an ecclesiastical province of the See of Alexandria, in accordance with the ruling of the Nicaean Fathers. Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria to this day includes the Pentapolis in his title as an area within his jurisdiction.[3]
The Coptic congregations in these countries were under the ancient Eparchy of the Western Pentapolis, which was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church for centuries until the thirteenth century[4]
This was one among a chain of many restructuring of several eparchies by Pope Shenouda III, while some of them were incorporated into the jurisdiction of others, especially those who were within an uncovered region or which were part of a Metropolis that became extinct, or by dividing large eparchies into smaller more manageable eparchies. This was part of the restructuring of the Church as a whole.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Although The Coptic Orthodox Church had a bishop for missionary affairs in Africa in the 1950s this was not continued after the death of that bishop.[5]
There are two bishops dealing with Sub-Saharan Africa:
Currently the oldest serving Bishop in this area is Antonius Markos (Anthony Mark), General Bishop for African Affairs and Patriarchal Exarch in West and South Africa, who was consecrated in the 1976 by Pope Shenouda III.
In the 1990s and as the service area had expanded, Pope Shenouda III consecrated Paul (Boulos) as General Bishop for Evangelism and Mission and Patriarchal Exarch in East and Central Africa.
Bishop Paul was originally a deacon then a celibate priest, he was then tonsured as a hieromonk before he was consecrated as a bishop. Both bishops were physicians before becoming full-time clergymen.
Here is a summary of the countries/churches under the jurisdiction of Bishop Antonius Markos according to his book "Come Across and Help Us, Book three", 2003[6] and under the jurisdiction of Bishop Paul according to the Mission Bishopric website:[7]
2 churches + 1 monastery + 1 vocational training center
1 priest
N/A
Namibia
Southern Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church + 1 vocational training center
1 priest
N/A
Ghana
West Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church + 1 vocational training center
1 priest
N/A
Ivory Coast
West Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church
N/A
Togo
West Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church
N/A
Botswana
Southern Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church
temporary priest
N/A
Lesotho
Southern Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church
temporary priest
N/A
Swaziland
Southern Africa
Bishop Antonios Markos
1 church
temporary priest
N/A
Total
Africa1
Bishop Markos and Bishop Paul2
65 churches + 3 monasteries + 2 hospitals + 4 schools + 4 vocational training centers + 1 medical center
28 priests + ~500 deacons
400,000+ people
Notes:
1: The region of "Africa", in this case, does not include Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, as these nations have several of their own Copticbishops who shepherd their respective dioceses. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, their Churches have a recognized autocephalous status. Therefore, this table's data is solely on Sub-Saharan African countries.
2: Bishop Antonios Markos serves Southern and Western Africa, while Bishop Paul serves Eastern and Central Africa.
The Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the See of Alexandria is the pope of Alexandria on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark, who also carries the title of Father of fathers, Shepherd of shepherds, Ecumenical Judge and the 13th among the Apostles.
The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope".
The Coptic Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic particular Church in full communion with the Catholic Church. Along with the Ethiopian Catholic Church and Eritrean Catholic Church, it belongs to the Alexandrian liturgical tradition. Uniquely among the Alexandrian Rite Eastern Catholic liturgies, the Coptic Catholic Church uses the Coptic Rite and the Coptic language in its liturgy; the Ethiopian Catholic Church and Eritrean Catholic Church use the Ge'ez Rite.
Abuna is the honorific title used for any bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as well as of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It was historically used solely for the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Ethiopia during the more than 1000 years when the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria appointed only one bishop at a time to serve its Ethiopian flock. When referred to without a name following, it is Abun, and if a name follows, it becomes Abuna.
Alphabetical list of Eastern Christianity-related articles on English Wikipedia
Abune Theophilos, also known as Abune Tewophilos, was the second Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. He officially succeeded Abuna Basilios in 1971 after he had assumed the role of acting patriarch upon Abuna Basilios's death in 1970.
The Eritrean Catholic Church or Eritrean Eastern Catholic Church is a sui iuris (autonomous) Eastern Catholic church based in Eritrea. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. It was established in 2015 when its territory was separated from the Ethiopian Catholic Church. The church is organized under a metropolitan bishop who exercises oversight of a number of suffragan dioceses. In its liturgical services, it uses the Alexandrian Rite in the Ge'ez language.
The Ethiopian Catholic Church or Ethiopian Eastern Catholic Church is a sui iuris (autonomous) Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ethiopia. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. Established in 1930, the church is organised under a metropolitan bishop who exercises oversight of a number suffragan dioceses. In its liturgical services, it uses the Alexandrian Rite in the Geʽez language.
Abune Antonios was the third Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. He was illegally and forcefully deposed by the Eritrean government in 2006, and was placed under house arrest thereafter.
The Greek OrthodoxPatriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa, also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, is an autocephalous patriarchate that is part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Its seat is in Alexandria, and it has canonical responsibility for the entire African continent.
The Coptic Orthodox Church has many churches and congregations in Europe and on 2 June 1974 Pope Shenouda III received into the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria a native Orthodox Church in France known as the French Orthodox Eparchy, along with their Primate, who in turn was accepted after consecration into the Episcopate, in the Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria and hence was appointed their Primate Marcos (Mark), as the first Bishop and Athanasius as Chorbishop of The French Orthodox Eparchy. There are 15 Coptic Bishops serving in Europe.
The French Coptic Orthodox Church is a Coptic Orthodox jurisdiction centered in France.
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest Orthodox authority in the Coptic Orthodox Church. It formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of the Church's organisation and faith.
Eritrea as a country and the Eritrean community are multi-religious. Eritrea has two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam.
Christianity is a minority religion in Libya. It has been present in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica since Roman times.
Abuna Basilios was an Ethiopian-born first Archbishop or Abuna, and later the first Patriarch, of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. It was given autocephaly by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, after Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Thus, the Eritrean Church accords a primacy of honor to the Coptic Church.
Copts in Libya may refer to people born in or residing in Libya of full or partial Coptic origin. Coptic people are an ethnoreligious group that form the largest Christian group in Libya, the Coptic Orthodox Church in the country having an estimated 60,000 adherents. The Coptic Church is known to have historical roots in Libya long before the Arabs advanced westward from Egypt into Libya. A part of the community is made up of immigrants from Egypt.
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