His Most Blessed Beatitude Pope Shenouda III, Patriarch of Alexandria and the spiritual leader of Egypt's Coptic Christians, died today at the age of 88.
May he rest in peace, and my the Lord guard his flock.
The late Pope Shenouda III was the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Following the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451, the Coptic Christians separated from the [Catholic] Church. After this separation the two Churches expressed their belief in the natures of Christ in different terminologies. For more than a millennium the Coptic Christians were said to have accepted the heresy of monophysitism, meaning that the only belief in one nature in Christ (the [Catholic] Church believes that in Christ there is both a human nature and a divine nature, which are inseparably united in him). In more recent years, this misunderstanding of doctrine has been rectified.
Still, full union with the Bishop of Rome – so far as I know – has not yet been attained.
As the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Pope of the Coptic Church is held to be the Successor of Saint Mark, who established the Church at Alexandria.
Fr. Daren, could you please explain his relationship with the Roman Catholic Church? Eternal rest grant unto him. Amen
ReplyDeleteA good question, Gary. I hope this helps:
ReplyDeleteThe late Pope Shenouda III was the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Following the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451, the Coptic Christians separated from the [Catholic] Church. After this separation the two Churches expressed their belief in the natures of Christ in different terminologies. For more than a millennium the Coptic Christians were said to have accepted the heresy of monophysitism, meaning that the only belief in one nature in Christ (the [Catholic] Church believes that in Christ there is both a human nature and a divine nature, which are inseparably united in him). In more recent years, this misunderstanding of doctrine has been rectified.
Still, full union with the Bishop of Rome – so far as I know – has not yet been attained.
As the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Pope of the Coptic Church is held to be the Successor of Saint Mark, who established the Church at Alexandria.