The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church's organisation, faith, service's order.

The Synod is chaired by the Patriarch of Alexandria and the members are the Church's Metropolitans, Bishops, Chorbishops and the Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria.


Contents

[edit] Seniority in the Synod

According to the Coptic Orthodox Church Traditions the Pope, being Bishop of Alexandria and being the Senior and Elder Bishop and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province and Primate of All Egypt, is the head of the Synod as a first among equals. The most senior position after the Pope was the Metropolitan of Pentapolis, but since its demise as a major Archiepiscopal Metropolis and now being held as a Titular See attached to another Diocese.

There is a special status of seniority of honor for the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Holy and Great City of Our Lord, Jerusalem, Holy Zion, Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Jerusalem, All Palestine, Philadelphia of Jordan & All the Near East.

This great archdiocesan Metropolis is technically outside the Egyptian Province and was not originally counted within the jurisdiction of the Pope of Alexandria and it was created by Pope Cyril III (1235-1243) in the Thirteenth Century, which, at that time, had caused a dispute between the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.[1]. This was a very rare incident between the two sister churches as in general their relationship is one of the strongest between any two sister churches. [2] .

It is important to note that the Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan of Jerusalem is the only Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan who is consecrated as a Metropolitan Archbishop without being consecrated a bishop first then elevated to the Metropolitan rank later as is the norm in all episcopal consecration according to the tradition of the Church of Alexandria. This has been the case since Cyril III consecrated Metropolitan Basilius as the first Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan of Jerusalem and All the Near East.

Currently, and because of the fact that the seniority of the members is decided according to ranking rules depending on the Rank in the Church (Metropolitans first then Bishops (and Exarchs of the Throne), then Auxiliary Bishops, then General Bishops, then Chorbishops and according to the date of consecration, the most senior position after the Pope is the oldest consecrated Metropolitan of the Throne, who is now the Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Asyut (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva) (Consecrated in 1946).

Apart from the fact that, as in ancient tradition, after the Senior Hierarch of Pentapolis, came the Hierarch of the Metropolis of (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva), which is Asyut.

It is to be noted that the most senior Metropolitan in consecration is candidate to become the Locum tenens in case of the death of the Pope until the election of the new Pope, and will be the one who enthrones the newly elected Pope along with the entire body of the Holy Synod.

This seniority ranking system does not diminish the importance and the greatness of the Metropolis of Jerusalem and All the Near East. It is to be noted that the archiepiscopal status of this great metropolis is given due to the Holy Apostolic Throne that it represent, being the Apostolic Throne of Jerusalem, although its Metropolitan Archbishop does not claim that title and is under the jurisdiction of the Throne of Alexandria.

[edit] Gallery

A Gallery of the Coptic Holy Synod of Egypt (All Coptic Bishops) (external link)

A Gallery of the Members of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria In order of date of consecration in Arabic and English (external link)

[edit] Primate and Pontiff

Chairman of The Synod

1) His Holiness Shenouda III (Senouthius III)

[edit] Metropolitans of the Throne

2) His Eminence Mikhail (Michael), Elder Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Asyut (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva) & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

3) His Eminence Abraham, Metropolitan of the Holy and Great City of Our Lord, Jerusalem, Holy Zion, Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Jerusalem, All Palestine, Philadelphia of Jordan & All the Near East.

4) His Eminence Domadius (Dometius), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Giza (Memphis), (Busiris) & Atfih (Aphroditopolis).

5) 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).

6) His Eminence Pishoy (Pisoios), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Damietta (Thamiates), Kafr El Sheikh (Xois) & Belqas and General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Throne.

7) His Eminence Marcos (Mark), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Toulon and All France, Primate of The French Coptic Orthodox Church.

8) His Eminence Seraphim, Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Glastonbury, and Primate of the British Orthodox Church.

9) His Eminence Hedra, Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Aswan (Syene & Elephantine) and (Kom Ombo) & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Hedra.

10) His Eminence Wissa (Besa), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Al Balyanna (Abydos), Berdis, Awlad Tookh & its jurisdictions.

11) His Eminence Arsenius, Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Al Minya (Theodosiopolis) & Abou Qurqas (Akoris) & (Hebenu).

[edit] Bishops of the Throne

12) His Grace Ammonius (Amon), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Luxor (Karnak), Esna & Armant and Edfu (Thebes, Apollonopolis Parva, Maximianopolis, Latopolis, Hermonthis, Eileithyiaspolis & Apollonopolis Magna) (Relieved from Eparchial Shepherding).

13) His Grace Benyamin (Benjamin), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Al Minufiyah (Prosopolis).

14) His Grace Pavnotius, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Samallout & Taha El Aaameda.

15) His Grace Angelos, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Al Sharqiyah (Fakus & Tanis) & 10th of Ramadan City.

16) His Grace Tadros (Theodoros), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Port Said (Pelusium, Tahpanhes & Farama).

17) His Grace Ignatius, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Suez (Clysma).

18) His Grace Yacobos (Jacob), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Zaqaziq (Bubastis), (Busiris) & Menya Al Qamh (Sais)

19) His Grace Kyrillos (Cyril), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Nag Hammâdi & Abu Tesht.

20) His Grace Boula (Paul), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Tanta.

21) His Grace Morkos (Mark), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Shubra el-Kheima.

22) His Grace Ashe’yia (Isaiah), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Tahta & Guhena (Aphroditopolis & Hispis)

23) His Grace Fam, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Tema.

24) His Grace Pissada, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Akhmim (Panopolis), Saqualta & the Holy Monasteries of Mount Akhmim in Upper Egypt.

25) His Grace Andrawos (Andrew), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Abu Tig, Sedfa & Ghanayem.

26) His Grace Missael, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of the Midlands and its Affiliated Regions, UK.Official Site

27) His Grace Abram, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Al Fayyum (Crocodilopolis, Arsinoe) & Abbot of the Monastery of Archangel Gabriel in the Naqloun Mountain, Central Egypt.

28) His Grace Serapion, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California & Hawaii, USA.

29) His Grace Demetrius, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Mallawi, Ansena (Antinoopolis) & El Ashmunein (Hermopolis Magna).

30) His Grace Lukas (Luke), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Abnoub & El Fatt’h.

31) His Grace Bakhoum (Pachomius), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Sohag, El Mansha’a & El Maragha (Athribis & Ptolemais).

32) His Grace Barsoum (Parsoma), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Dairout (Nekhen) & Sanabou (Hierancopolis).

33) His Grace Antonius (Anthony), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Manfalout.

34) His Grace Picenti (Pisentios), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Helwan & Al Maasara (Tura).

35) His Grace Kyrillos (Cyril), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Milano and Northern Italy & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite in Milano.

36) His Grace Aghapius, Bishop the Holy Diocese of Deir Mouwas & Delga.

37) His Grace Thomas, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of El Quousseya & Mir.

38) His Grace Matthias, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of El-Mahalla El-Kubra and Samanoud (Sebennytos). (Resigned & Deposed)

39) His Grace Cheroubim (Cherubim), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Qina, Qift (Coptos) & their jurisdictions

40) His Grace Pimen, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Naqada & Qous (Apollonopolis Parva).

41) His Grace Takla, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Dishna & Dendera (Tentyra) & its jurisdictions.

42) His Grace Macarius, Bishop of the Eritrean Church in the USA. Member of the Eritrean Holy Synod.

43) His Grace Markos (Mark), Bishop of the Eritrean Church in the UK. Member of the Eritrean Holy Synod.

44) His Grace Theophilus, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Hurghada, Kosseir & All the Red Sea (Apollonopolis), (Arsinoe), (Myos Hormos), (Philoteras) & (Berenice).

45) His Grace Maximus, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Banha (Leontopolis) & Quouwaysena (Athribis).

46) His Grace Sarapamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Atbara, Um Durman & 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).

47) His Grace Antony, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ireland, Scotland & North East England, United Kingdom.

48) His Grace Damian, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Höxter-Brenkenhausen, Kroeffelbach & All Germany & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in Kroeffelbach, Germany.

49) His Grace Youssef (Joseph), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Southern United States & Abbot of the Monastery of Most Holy Virgin Mary & Saint Moses the Strong in Corpus Christi, Texas.

50) His Grace Barnaba, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Torino and Southern Italy.

51) His Grace Suriel, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Melbourne,Victoria (Australia), Tasmania, ACT, South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand and All Oceania.

52) His Grace Gabriel, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Beni Suef (Herakleopolis Magna) & El-Bahnasa (Oxyrhynchus).

53) His Grace Georgios (George), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Matai and its jurisdictions.

54) His Grace Stephanos (Stephen), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Beba, Samasta & El Fashn.

55) His Grace Gabriel, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Vienna and all Austria.

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

57) His Grace Seraphim, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ismailia (Heroonopolis) & (Pithom).

58) His Grace Apollo, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of El-Tor (Raithu), Sharm El Sheikh & All South Sinai.

59) His Grace Athanasius, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Beni Mazar.

60) His Grace Aghathon, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Maghagha & `Edwa.

61) His Grace Kosman (Cosmas), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of El Arish (Rhinocorura), El Qantarah & All North Sinai.

62) His Grace Daniel, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Sydney, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan & All East Asia.

63) His Grace Dawood (David), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Mansoura (Leontopolis), (Lycopolis) & (Mendes) & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint George at Meit Demsis, Lower Egypt.

64) His Grace Aghathon, Bishop the Holy Diocese of Sao Paolo and All Brazil.

65) His Grace Youssef (Joseph), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Santa Cruz and All Bolivia.

[edit] Auxiliary Bishops of the Throne

66) His Grace Athanasius, Auxiliary Bishop of the Holy Metropolis of Toulon & All France, Assistant to His Eminence Marcos, Primate of The French Coptic Orthodox Church.

67) His Grace Daniel, Auxiliary Bishop for Maadi District in Cairo, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

68) His Grace Raphael, Auxiliary Bishop for Central Cairo & Heliopolis, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

69) His Grace Tawadros (Theodorus), Auxiliary Bishop for the Holy Diocese of Beheira (Thmuis & Hermopolis Parva), assistant to His Eminence Pachomius.

70) His Grace Maximos (Maximus), Auxiliary Bishop for Dar El Salam (Irininoupolis) in Cairo, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

71) His Grace Silwanos (Silvanus), Auxiliary Bishop for Old Cairo (Babylon) & Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

72) His Grace Timotheos (Timothy), Auxiliary Bishop for El Mataria, Ain Shams & Ezbet El Nakhl, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

73) His Grace Martyrus, Auxiliary Bishop for East of the Railroad District in Cairo, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

74) His Grace Macarius, Auxiliary Bishop for the Holy Metropolis of Al Minya, (Theodosiopolis) & Abou Qurqas, Assistant to His Eminence Arsenius.

[edit] Exarchs of the Throne

75) His Grace Antonius Markos (Anthony Mark), General Bishop for African Affairs & Patriarchal Exarch in West & South Africa.

76) His Grace Youhanna (John), General Bishop & Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.

77) His Grace Boules (Pavlos), General Bishop for Evangelism & Mission & Patriarchal Exarch in East & Central Africa.

78) His Grace David, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.

79) His Grace Angaelos, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch for the Youth Ministry at the Patriarchal Center and the Coptic Orthodox Theological College at Stevenage, United Kingdom.

[edit] Bishop Abbots of the Holy and Sacred Monasteries of the Throne

80) His Grace Sarapamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

81) His Grace Sawiros (Severus), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as Al Muharraq Monastery, Upper Egypt.

82) His Grace Mattheos (Matthew), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as the Syrian Monastery, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

83) His Grace Basilius (Basil), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor, in El Qualamon Mountain, Upper Egypt.

84) His Grace Yustus (Justus), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great, in the Eastern Desert.

85) His Grace Isithoros (Isidore), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as the Paromeos (Roman) Monastery, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

86) His Grace Kyrillos (Cyril), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Mina, in the Desert of Mariut (Mareotis), Lower Egypt..

87) His Grace Mina, Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint George in El Khatatba, Central Egypt.

88) His Grace Daniel, Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, in the Eastern Desert.

[edit] General Bishops of the Throne

89) His Grace Ruweis, General Bishop.

90) His Grace Apakir (Apa Cyrrhus), General Bishop.

[edit] General Bishops Administrators of the Bishoprics of the Throne

91) His Grace Moussa (Moses), General Bishop, Administrator for the Bishopric of Youth Affairs.

92) His Grace Dioscorus, General Bishop, Administrator of the Patriarchal Print Shop.

93) His Grace Botros (Peter), General Bishop, Administrator of Aghapy TV Channel.

[edit] General Bishops Patriarchal Secretary

94) His Grace Youannes (John), General Bishop, Patriarchal Secretary at the Patriarchal Residence in Cairo.

95) His Grace Armiah (Jeremiah), General Bishop, Patriarchal Secretary at the Patriarchal Residence in Cairo.

[edit] Chorbishop

96) His Grace Isaac, Chori-Episcopus.

[edit] Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria

97) The Very Reverend Hegumen Cheroubim the Pachomian, Grand Economos and Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria.

[edit] Vacant Metropolis/Diocese/Abbey

98) His Eminence (Vacant), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Girga (Thinis).

99) His Grace (Vacant), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Shebin El Quanater, Toukh & El Khanka.

100) His Grace (Vacant), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint George in El Rozaiquat, Central Egypt.

101) His Grace (Vacant), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in Barstow, California, United States. (Vacant after the death of the thrice blessed Bishop Karas in 2002)

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of the Coptic Church, Iris Habib Elmasry
  2. ^ History of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Abouna Menassa Elkomos Youhanna 1923

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

The Coptic Pope website http://www.copticpope.org

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../t/h/e/The_Holy_Synod_of_the_Coptic_Orthodox_Patriarchate_of_Alexandria_b783.html"