About

The Coptic Orthodox Church

The Coptic Church was established in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. Mark the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria around 43 A.D. The church adheres to the Nicene Creed. St. Athanasius (296-373 A.D.), the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Church effectively defended the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Divinity at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title; “Father of Orthodoxy” and St. Athanasius “the Apostolic”.

The term “Coptic” is derived from the Greek “Aigyptos” meaning “Egyptian”. When the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century, they called the Egyptians “qibt”. Thus the Arabic word “qibt” came to mean both “Egyptians” and “Christians”.

The term “Orthodoxy” here refers to the preservation of the “Original Faith” by the Copts who, throughout the ages, defended the Old Creed against the numerous attacks aimed at it.

The Coptic Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Trinity: God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit, are equal to each other in one unity; and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world. Less changes have taken place in the Coptic Church than in any other church whether in the ritual or doctrine aspects and that the succession of the Coptic Patriarchs, Bishops, priests and Deacons has been continuous.

What We Believe

Our mission is a mission of love, the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

The cornerstone of Christianity is love, because God is love. At Saint Peter & Saint Paul, we are committed to:

• Show, manifest and become the vessels of the true love of Jesus Christ by welcoming everyone to His church.
• Everyone is loved, worthy, at home and an active member in the body of Jesus Christ.
• Pledge ourselves to be servants to others to see the light and love of Jesus Christ in each one of us.
• Proclaim, as a missionary church, the Good News, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the beliefs of the Orthodox Christian faith, to the non-Christians, non-believers, non-churchgoers, Christians and every person with whom we come in contact.
• Model the body of Christ by including the gifts bestowed by the grace of God on each one of His creation, complementing and completing one another to become the Holy Body of Christ, His church.
• Establish a Christian community interacting in love, directly and on-line, to encourage growing in faith and insure the spiritual growth of every member of the congregation.

Our Pope

Pope Tawadros II

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo.