From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Coptic Christian population in Egypt is the largest Christian community in the Middle East.[1] Copts are not a cultural or ethnic minority but Egyptians whose ancestors embraced Christianity in the first century.[2] Christians represent around 10-20% of a population of over 80 million Egyptians,[3][4][5] [6] [7] [8] [9][10][11][12][13] though estimates vary (see Religion in Egypt). Around 95% of them belong to the native Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria[14][10][11] an Oriental Orthodox Church, established in the 1st century C.E. by Saint Mark. The Church is headed by the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, attests to Egypt's strong Christian heritage. It has a followers of approximately 10-15 million Christians worldwide; affiliated sister churches are located in Armenia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Lebanon and Syria and considered as the main Coptic churches in the Middle East.
Other native Egyptian Christians are adherents of the Coptic Catholic Church, the Coptic Evangelical Church and various Coptic Protestant denominations. Non-native Christian communities are largely found in the urban regions of Alexandria and Cairo, and are members of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Maronite Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, or the Syriac Orthodox Church.
[edit] Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Over 90% of Christians in Egypt belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.[14][15] These Christians are all headed by the Pope and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark, currently Pope Shenouda III.
[edit] Christian denominations in Egypt (by number of adherents)
| Denomination |
Number of Egyptian adherents |
| Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria |
~12,000,000-16,000,000 [16][10][11] |
| Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria |
Around 250,000[12] |
| Coptic Catholic Church |
Around 210,000[17][4][18][19][20] |
| Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) |
Around 140,000 out of 200,000 protestants[12] |
| Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East (Anglican Church) |
10,000 - 15,000 |
| Melkite Greek Catholic Church |
Around 7,000[12] |
| Armenian Apostolic Church |
Around 7,000[12] |
| Roman Catholic Church |
Around 7,000[12] |
| Maronite Church |
Around 5,000[12] |
| Syriac Catholic Church |
Around 2,000[12] |
| Armenian Catholic Church |
Around 1,200[12] |
| Seventh-day Adventist Church |
852[21] |
| Chaldean Catholic Church |
Around 500[12] |
| Syriac Orthodox Church |
450 - 500 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Cole, Ethan (July 8, 2008). "Egypt's Christian-Muslim Gap Growing Bigger". The Christian Post. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080708/egypt-s-christian-muslim-gap-growing-bigger.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ^ M. Ibrahim, Youssef (April 18, 1998). ""U.S. Bill Has Egypt's Copts Squirming"". New York Time. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E5DC103DF931A25757C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1. Retrieved on 2008-10-08.
- ^ "Egypt from “The World Factbook”". American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). September 4, 2008. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html.
- ^ a b "”The Copts and Their Political Implications in Egypt”". Washington Institute for Near East Policy. October 25, 2005. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2386.
- ^ IPS News (retrieved 09-27-2008)
- ^ [1]. The Washington Post. "Estimates of the size of Egypt's Christian population vary from the low government figures of 6 to 7 million to the 12 million reported by some Christian leaders. The actual numbers may be in the 9 to 9.5 million range, out of an Egyptian population of more than 60 million." Retrieved 10-10-2008
- ^ [2]. The New York Times. Retrieved 10-10-2008.
- ^ [3] The Christian Post. Accessed 28 September 2008.
- ^ NLG Solutions <Online>. Egypt. Accessed 28 September 2008.
- ^ a b c "Egypt from “U.S. Department of State/Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs”". United States Department of State. September 30, 2008. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5309.htm.
- ^ a b c "Egypt from “Foreign and Commonwealth Office”". Foreign and Commonwealth Office -UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs. August 15, 2008. http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/country-profiles/middle-east-north-africa/egypt.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Egypt Religions & Peoples from “LOOKLEX Encyclopedia”". LookLex Ltd.. September 30, 2008. http://lexicorient.com/e.o/egypt_4.htm.
- ^ "Egypt from “msn encarta”". Encarta. September 30, 2008. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557408_3/Egypt.html.
- ^ a b ""Who are the Christians in the Middle East?"". Betty Jane Bailey. June 18, 2009. http://books.google.com/books?id=xrGL7o69KBIC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=coptic+orthodox&source=bl&ots=0ROIHZ4FFm&sig=DcEAaveJzQsCeS1tQK-liQc54cM&hl=en&ei=es46SqsUiP61A9ufrOUK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1.
- ^ Pittsburgh live. Middle East Report. Accessed October 15, 2008.
- ^ Tour Egypt. Feature Stories: Coptic Orthodox Christians. Accessed 10-13-2008.
- ^ http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat07.pdf
- ^ CNEWA – The Coptic Catholic Church
- ^ "Controversy in Egypt after a prominent church figure declared the number of Copts in Egypt exceeds 12 million". November 2, 2008. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/08/28/55639.html.
- ^ "Pope Shenouda III declares to a TV station that the number of Copts in Egypt exceeds 12 million". October 29, 2008. http://www.unitedcopts.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3073&Itemid=71.
- ^ Adventist Atlas
[edit] External links
