Welcome To
George Hafez’ Coptic Web Site
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Welcome
To:
George
Hafez’ Coptic Web Site
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The Coptic Orthodox Church: The Church
of Martyrs
The Jewel of Christian Apostolic Creed
and the Torch of Egyptian Unrelenting-Faith in Christ
By
George Hafez Kanany
Every year, on June 1,
Coptic Church, the church of Christians of Egypt, celebrates the flight of
Jesus Christ to the land of Egypt. Egypt is the incomparable land that Jesus
Christ visited outside His own birth-land in Palestine. St. Mathew, the
Evangelist, has recorded such visit in his Gospel. However, the Coptic Church
maintains dearly its unique characteristics; embodying its contributions to
Christendom as follows:
I- Prophecy of the Establishment of
Coptic Church
The Old Testament has foretold about the Christian altar to the
Lord in the midst of Egypt, and a pillar at its border. The book of Isaiah
mentioned that the Lord has blessed His people of the Egyptian church. The
Beholder-of-God St. Mark, companion of the apostles Paul and Peter began
preaching Christianity in Egypt around 35 AD. Egypt was one of the first
countries to embrace the Christian Orthodox faith.
The sanctuary altar
was not a heathen nor a pagan altar, but rather the Lord-of-hosts’ one served
by Christians of Egypt. The Christian altar in Egypt bears witness and glory in
the Gospel’s missionary and evangelical ministry of Coptic Church in Africa,
Asia and Europe. The Biblical references show how the Lord, the Almighty God,
has blessed His church in Egypt. Look at the Book of Isaiah (1:19), (19:19-21)
and (19:25): "Blessed is Egypt My people", and the Gospel of Mathew
chapter 2, verse 15.
II- Flight of the Holy Family to the
Nile Valley
The Egyptian soil,
Lower and Upper Egypt, was the unique asylum that Jesus Christ took it as a
safe haven and chose it for His Glory to build the future church in the midst
of the Coptic soil. Jesus stayed for several years till the death of Herodotus;
fulfilling the prophecy: " Out of Egypt I called my son", Mathew 2:15
The idols of pagan
Egypt had been smashing and crushing. Every time Jesus entered an Egyptian
town, the idols tattered and monuments fell down and the residents expel the "Holy
Family" repeatedly. Many spots and
places were sanctified by the presence of the "Holy Family". We are
humbled that Egypt has been blessed and honored by Jesus the Messiah and by many
prophets and patriarchs.
III- Establishment of the First
School of Theology in Alexandria
St. Mark, the
Apostolic, founded the first school of Christian theology worldwide. Such
school played a gigantic role in philosophical defense of the Christian faith
against the claims of secular philosophy and Gnosticism. The School of
Alexandria has introduced to Christendom the Greek translation of the Old
Testament. The pillars of Christian scholars and theologians were gifted geniuses
such as Pentinus, Eklimondus (Clement) of Alexandria, Origin (Origenus), the
Adamantine Apologist and St.Didymus the Blind. In the fourth century, St
Didymus had invented the engraved writing to read with his fingers; fifteen
centuries before Louis Braille used it.
The extreme erudition of St. Didymus was regarded as the great
"bulwark of true faith". Origin (Origenus)’ allegoric and mystical
method of exegesis was his approach in textual contemplation. Christian
theology had never been integrated into a system of thought before Origenus’ work.
He may be considered the founder of Christian philosophy. The Alexandrine
school of Patristic required the apologists to merge rational philosophy with
Christian doctrines based on faith such as Logos, Original Sin, the problem of
Sin and the doctrine of Freedom of the Will of Man.
IV-Coptic
Church as the Mother of Monasticism and Asceticism
In the 4th
century, St. Anthony, the Great Monk, was the first monk in the Egyptian desert
of wilderness. The founding father of monasteries worldwide was St. Pachomius,
the Father of Sharing. Anba Paula was the First Hermit (Anchorite) and Anba
Barsoma the Wandering Ascetic. St. Shenouda the Archimandrite contributed in
carrying the torch of spiritual struggle in Akhmiem.
St. Anthony, the Father of Monks has played a remarkable role in
rallying the Coptic people against the heretic Arius, while St. Athanathius the
triumphant was in exile. Scholars call St. Anthony the Patriarch as Abraham,
and St. Pachomius as the Prophet Moses. The ecclesia of Alexandria has
profoundly embraced and proudly protected the apostolic faith.
V-Pioneer Coptic Heroes and Ardent
Defenders of Christian Faith
Defusing the
heresies of Arius, Nestorius and Eutykhus was the major task and duty of our forefathers
and ancestors, the bearers of our pure Christian Orthodox-faith. Saint Athanaius,
the Apostolic, was the mastermind and soul of the formation of the tenants of
Christian Creed, in 325 AD, in the ecumenical synod of 318 bishops assembled in
Nichia. The stout Pope St. Athanasius of Alexandria was against the whole world
to rebuttal Arianism and he has succeeded.
In 431 AD. Saint Kyrollus the Pillar of Faith, one of the Coptic
Popes and Patriarchs, refuted Nestorism and presided over the ecumenical synod
of 200 bishops assembled in Ephesus. The fiery zeal for the orthodox faith let
the Pope of Alexandria, Our Teacher St. Dioskurus to attack Monophysitism and
win the fierce battle against Eutykhus.
VI-Coptic
Church is the Church of Persecution and Martyrdom
Our Egyptian ancestors
have shown their testimonies for Christ globally. Our Coptic martyrs have
carried the cross of persecution and martyrdom all over the ages. Coptic
populations of complete towns were rounded up, tortured or slain. Akhmin
(Akhmiem), Esna and Naucatis in Upper Egypt were few examples, where Egypt was
an easy target for foreign aggressions, barbaric conquests and brutal
occupations.
During the tyrant
Roman Emperors Neron in the 1st century, the Burner of Rome, and
Deklidyanus in the 4th century, persecution against Christians of
Egypt was brutal, boreal and bitter. In 284 AD. Deklidyanus’ era reached the
apex of rough persecution and zenith of tough martyrdom. Therefore, the year 284 AD. has been taken to
mark the first year of the Coptic Calendar of Martyrs. Persecution and discrimination have been
continuing ruthlessly by the Sultans of Mamluks and Ottomans.
The Coptic Thebes’ Legion (of Luxor today in Upper Egypt) served
the Roman Army in Italy, France and Switzerland. When the Coptic sixty-seven hundred
officers and soldiers refused to partake in the offering of incense and pagan
rituals to the Roman idols; all of them were eliminated in all the war zones
and beheaded. In the eleventh century, during St. Anba Barsoma, a great
persecution befell the Christian nation of Egypt. Churches were shut and
Christians were forced to wear blue turbans.
The Coptic grounds of alleys and roads of farms were stained by the
precious Coptic blood. The rest of Copts were enforced to accept harsh
occupation, hard conditions and severe taxation. Plundering the Coptic
resources was the norm by the rugged oppressed rulers. Containment of the pure
Christian faith was highly priced by the blood, tears and sweat of our Coptic ancestors.
We are proud to be the descendants of the Pharaohs, Ancient Egyptians, and
Coptic Orthodox-Church adherents.
VII-
Twenty-First Century Coptic Church in Christendom
The old Coptic Church, the strong apostolic Church of God, the King
of Kings and Lord of lords (the Absolute Savior Jesus Christ), has hovered on
the blessed valley of the River Nile, since the first century AD. The Coptic
papacy has been living and well from ages to ages, for 117 Coptic Popes of
Alexandria, Egypt. Today, H. H. Pope Shenouda III is the present Coptic Pope of
the Chair of Alexandria, Cairo, and all over the world’s continents. Pope
Shenouda III, the spiritual leader of Coptic Christendom, embodies the Coptic
Church in letter and spirit. His
Holiness leads the spiritual path of Christian revival and renaissance in our
modern age of spiritual bankruptcy. Hundred of Coptic churches have been
carrying the pure- orthodox Christian torch to the Western World, Americas,
Australia, Canada and Europe.
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About the Author:
George
H. Kanany (Qanany) is an Egyptian descendent of the Copts and a Coptic
descendant of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. He is a graduate in Accounting
from Cairo University in Egypt. In
addition, George Hafez is a graduate in Economics and Computer Science, from
the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Notice that
"Copts" means the Christian Egyptians, the indigenous people of
Egypt, the cradle of civilizations.
Published in 2002
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