Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa

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This article is about the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in African countries other than Egypt.

It is important to note that the Apostolic Throne of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is based in the ancient and great 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.

It is also to be noted that since the demise of the Latin (Roman) North African Archiepiscopate of Carthage (which covered all of North and West Africa, apart from Egypt, Pentapolis & 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). It is also to be noted that actually, the historical evangelization of the Apostolic Throne of Alexandria in Africa, apart from Egypt, Pentapolis, Libya, Nubia and the Sudan, does extend to:

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[edit] Ethiopia

It 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 Aboune 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 Orthodox Pope of Alexandria Joseph II in Cairo and enthroned in Addis Ababa by the members of the Ethiopian Holy Synod and an Alexandrine delegation. The first Prelate, His Beatitude Aboune Basilius I (1959-1971), Patriarch-Catholicos of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia, was ordained and enthroned in 1959, by the saintly remembered and the thrice blessed the late Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria.

The Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and of all Ethiopia is now headed by its 5th Patriarch, His Beatitude Aboune Paulos I (1992- ). This is after the Patriarchates of H.B. the late Aboune Theophilus I (1971-1979) (Deposed in a non-canonical way in 1976, sent to prison and murdered in prison in 1979), H.B. the late Aboune Thecla Hemanote I (1976-1988) (who was elected in a non canonical manner by pressure of the then Communist Government to replace his predecessor.) & H.B. Abouna Mercurios I (1988-1991), (who resigned under pressure, due to the accusation of collaborating with the (Dereg) Menghistu Communist Regime, and who is now living in self exile in Kenya).

His Beatitude Aboune Paulos I has requested from the Alexandrine Throne complete independence to his Patriarchate. The Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia was granted its independence in 1994, by H.H. Shenouda III Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, thus making the Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia hierarchically and jurisdictionally independent “Autocephalous Patriarchate.”

[edit] Eritrea

Whose own Prelate, H.B. the late Aboune Philipos I (1998-2002), Patriarch of Asmara and of all Eritrea, was ordained and enthroned in May 1998, by H.H. Pope Shenouda III Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. This made the new Patriarchate of Asmara and of all Eritrea a hierarchically and jurisdictionally independent “Autocephalous Patriarchate.” The Current Prelate, H.B. Aboune Antonius I (2004- ), is the third Patriarch of Asmara and all Eritrea, who succeeded H.B. the late Yacob I (2003-2004) the second Patriarch of Asmara and all Eritrea. However, he was deposed non-canonically in January 2006, and replaced by H.B. Aboune Discoros I. This action is however not approved by the Alexandrine Throne and is still under debate. It is to be noted that prior to granting the autonous status to this Church in 1994 and then autocephaly in 1998, it constituted a major archdiocese within the Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia.

Both the Patriarchate of Addis Ababa and all Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of Asmara & all Eritrea do acknowledge the supremacy of honor & dignity of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria on the basis that both Patriarchates were established by the Throne of Alexandria and that they 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 & all Ethiopia and the Patriarchate of Asmara & all Eritrea are daughter Churches of the Holy Apostolic Patriarchate of Alexandria.

[edit] The Sudan

This country, who had both Egyptian expatriates and native adherents, is divided into to eparchies and whose prelates are:

His Grace Sarapamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Atbara, Um Durman and All the North of the Sudan & Titular Bishop of the Great and Ancient Metropolis of Nubia: (Faras) of (Nobatia), (Dongola) of (Makuria) and (Soba) of (Alodia).

His Grace Ilia (Elijah), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Khartoum and All the South of the Sudan.

[edit] Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

The Coptic congregations is these countries were under the ancient Eparchy of Pentapolis, which was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church for centuries until the thirteenth century [1]

In 1971 Pope Shenouda III reinstated it as part of the Eparchy of His Eminence Pachomius, Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Beheira (Thmuis & Hermopolis Parva), (Buto), Mariout (Mareotis), Marsa Matruh (Paraetonium), (Apis), Patriarchal Exarch of the Ancient Metropolis of Libya: (Livis, Marmarica, Darnis & Tripolitania) & Titular Metropolitan Archbishop of the Great and Ancient Metropolis of Pentapolis: (Cyrenaica), (Appollonia), (Ptolemais), (Berenice) and (Arsinoe).

This was one among a chain of many restructuring of several eparchies by Pope Shenouda III, while some of them were incorporated into the jursidiction of others, especially those who were within an uncoverred region or which were part of a Metropolis that became extinct, or by dividing large eparchies into smaller more manageble eparchies. This was part of the restructuring of the Church as a whole.

[edit] Other regions of 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 [2].

Currently the oldest serving Bishop in this area is His Grace Antonius Markos (Anthony Mark), General Bishop for African Affairs and Patriarchal Exarch in West and South Africa , who was consecrated in the 1976 by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III .

In the 1990s and as the service area had expanded, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III consecrated His Grace Boules (Pavlos) as General Bishop for Evangelism & Mission & Patriarchal Exarch in East and Central Africa.

Bishop Boules was originally a Deacon then a celibate Priest, he was then tonsured as a Hieromonk before he was consecreted as a Bishop. Both Bishops were Physicians before becoming full time clergymen.

In addition to the above, the countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Malawi, Angola, Namibia and South Africa are under the jurisdiction and the evangelization of the Throne of Alexandria. Currently there are over 30 Coptic Orthodox Churches in 10 sub-saharan countries. It is still expanding in the vast continent of Africa.

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of the Coptic Church, by Father Menassa Youhanna
  2. ^ History of the Coptic Church, Iris Habib Elmasry
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