Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bishop of Alexandria بابا الكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية Pope
Tawadros II
Location
Ecclesiastical province	Alexandria, Egypt, Pentapolis, Libya, Nubia, Sudan and all Africa
Information
Denomination	Oriental Orthodox
Rite	Alexandrian rite
Cathedral	Saint Mark Cathedral in Alexandria Saint Mark Cathedral in Cairo

The Pope (Coptic: Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ, romanized: Papa; Arabic: البابا, romanized: al-Bābā, lit. 'father') is the main leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This church has very old Christian roots in Egypt. The Pope is also known as the Bishop of Alexandria or Patriarch of Alexandria.

The Pope's special role comes from being the successor to Saint Mark. Saint Mark is believed to have been chosen by Saint Peter. This important role was confirmed by an early church meeting called the First Council of Nicaea. The current Pope is Pope Tawadros II. He became the 118th Pope on November 18, 2012.

The Pope leads the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. This Holy Synod is the highest group in the Church of Alexandria. The church has between 12 and 18 million members around the world. Most of them, about 10 to 14 million, live in Egypt. The Pope also leads the church's General Congregation Council.

Even though the Pope's title is linked to the city of Alexandria, the Pope's home has been in Cairo since 1047. Today, the Pope lives at Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. This place includes the Patriarchal Palace. There is also another home at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy.

Pope Tawadros II was chosen on November 4, 2012. He was 60 years old and was known as Bishop Tawadoros before. He was officially made Pope on November 18, 2012.

History of the Coptic Pope

The early Christian Church recognized some cities as very important leaders for Christians worldwide. The Church of Alexandria was one of these original important centers. However, after a split following the Council of Chalcedon, the leadership of the Pope in Alexandria became separate from some other churches.

Members of the Coptic Orthodox Church believe their Popes are direct followers of Mark the Evangelist. They see Saint Mark as the first Bishop of Alexandria. He is also believed to have started the Church there in the 1st century.

How a Pope is Chosen

Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of Alexandria

The Coptic Orthodox Church chooses its Pope using a special process that started in 1957.

First, within seven days after a Pope passes away, a temporary leader is chosen. This leader is called a regent. The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which is a group of Coptic bishops, chooses the regent. Usually, it is one of the oldest bishops. This regent leads the Church until a new Pope is chosen.

Within a month, a group of fourteen members from the Synod prepares a list of candidates. They look for specific qualities in the candidates. The future Pope must be over 40 years old. He must have lived as a monk for at least fifteen years. Also, he must never have been married.

This list of candidates is then shared with all the church members. It is published in Egypt's main newspapers. After three months, a large meeting is held. This meeting includes 74 bishops and twelve representatives from each church area. These representatives are chosen from elders and leaders. About one thousand people vote for the candidates. The three candidates who get the most votes move on to the final step.

The final step is called the "sacred election by lot." This ceremony is open to everyone in the church community. During the ceremony, the names of the three candidates are put into a silver urn. A child, who is blindfolded, then picks one of the three cards from inside a chalice. Each card has a candidate's name on it. The name on the card picked by the child is believed to be chosen by God. This person then becomes the new Pope.

For example, after Shenouda III passed away on March 17, 2012, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church voted for a new leader. The top three names were put in a glass cup. A blindfolded boy then picked one name. That person became the new Patriarch of Alexandria. Pope Shenouda III was also chosen in a similar way.

The Meaning of "Pope"

The word "Pope" comes from the Greek word πάππας. This word means "father."

In history, the term "pope" was used for Pope Heraclas of Alexandria. This was in a letter written by the bishop of Rome, Pope Dionysius.

Over time, the title "Pope" became mostly used for the Bishop of Rome in the Western Church. But the Coptic Orthodox Church has continued to use this title for its leader.

See also

• Coptic Orthodox Church
• List of Coptic Orthodox popes
• Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church
• Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria
• Patriarch of Alexandria