The term "Coptic" is derived from the Greek "Aigyptos" meaning "Egyptian", which was, in turn, derived from "Hikaptah", one of the names for Memphis, the first capital of Ancient Egypt. When the Arabs arrived in Egypt in the seventh century, they called the Egyptians "Qipt", thus the Arabic word "Qipt" came to mean both "Egyptians" and "Christians. The modern use of the term "Coptic" describes Egyptian Christians, as well as the last stage of the ancient Egyptian language script. Also, it describes the distinctive art and architecture that developed as an early expression of the new faith. 

The Coptic Church is based on the teachings of Saint Mark who brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero in the first century, a dozen of years after the Lord's ascension. He was one of the four evangelists and the one who wrote the oldest canonical gospel. Christianity spread throughout Egypt within half a century of Saint Mark's arrival in Alexandria as is clear from the New Testament writings found in Bahnasa, in Middle Egypt, which date around the year 200 A.D., and a fragment of the Gospel of Saint John, written using the Coptic language, which was found in Upper Egypt and can be dated to the first half of the second century. The Coptic Church, which is now more than nineteen centuries old, was the subject of many prophecies in the Old Testament.

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 Church was established in the name of 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 Christ's Divinity at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. His affirmation of the doctrine earned him the title; "Father of Orthodoxy" and St. Athanasius "the Apostolic".

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 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.

The Coptic Orthodox Church recognizes the Seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion (Eucharist), Penance, Marriage, Unction of the Sick and Holy Orders.

The Copts pride themselves on the Apostolicity of their church and on the fact that Egypt is the only land in the world to be honored and blessed, being visited by the Holy Family. The Copts also pride themselves on their Egyptian saints, theologians and scholars, who are counted among the most distinguished figures of the Christian Churches such as Origen in 185 A.D.; St. Clement 211; St. Anthony the Great 250; St. Pachomius 290; St. Athanasius 296; St. Macarius 300; St. Cyril 377 just to mention a few.

The Coptic Church has always felt a mandate to reconcile "semantic differences" between all Christian churches". This is aptly expressed by H. H., Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark when he said, "To the Coptic Church, faith is more important than anything. People must know that semantics and terminology are of little importance to us".

Since the middle of this century, the Coptic Church has played an important role in the ecumenical movement. The Coptic Church is one of the founders of the "World Council of Churches". The Coptic Church is also a member of the African Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches. The number of the Coptic Church members in Egypt alone is approximately 10,000,000 members. There are around 1.5 million Coptic immigrants living in Australia, United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Monasticism was born in Egypt and was instrumental in the formation of the Coptic Church's character of submission and humbleness, thanks to the teachings and writings of the Great Fathers of Egypt's Deserts. Monasticism started in the last years of the third century and flourished in the fourth century. Saint Anthony, the world's first Christian monk was a Copt from Upper Egypt. Saint Pachom, who established the rules of monasticism, was a Copt. And, Saint Paul, the world's first anchorite is also a Copt. Other famous Coptic desert fathers include Saint Makarious, Saint Moses the Black, and Saint Mina the wonderous. The more contemporary desert fathers include the late Pope Cyril VI and his disciple Bishop Mina Abba Mina. By the end of the fourth century, there were hundreds of monasteries, and thousands of cells and caves scattered throughout the Egyptian hills. Many of these monasteries are still flourishing and have new vocations till this day. All Christian monasticism stems, either directly or indirectly, from the Egyptian example: Saint Basil, organiser of the monastic movement in Asia minor visited Egypt around 357 A.D. and his rule is followed by the eastern Churches; Saint Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, came to Egypt around 400 A.D. and left details of his experiences in his letters; Saint Benedict founded monasteries in the sixth century on the model of Saint Pachom, but in a stricter form. And countless pilgrims visited the "Desert Fathers" and emulated their spiritual, disciplined lives. There is even evidence that Copts had missionaries to Nothern Europe. One example is Saint Moritz of the Theban Legion who was drafted from Egypt to serve under the Roman flag and ended up teaching Christianity to inhabitants of the Swiss Alps, where a small town and a Monastery that contains his relics as well as some of his books and belongings are named after him. Another saint from the Theban Legion is Saint Victor, known among Copts as "Boktor". 

Under the authority of the Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople (as opposed to the western empire of Rome), the Patriarchs and Popes of Alexandria played leading roles in Christian theology. They were invited everywhere to speak about the Christian faith. Saint Cyril, Pope of Alexandria, was the head of the Ecumenical Council which was held in Ephesus in the year 430 A.D. It was said that the bishops of the Church of Alexandria did nothing but spend all their time in meetings. This leading role, however, did not fare well when politics started to intermingle with Church affairs. It all started when the Emperor Marcianus interfered with matters of faith in the Church. The response of Saint Dioscorus, the Pope of Alexandria who was later exiled, to this interference was clear: "You have nothing to do with the Church." These political motives became even more apparent in Chalcedon in 451, when the Coptic Church was unfairly accused of following the teachings of Eutyches, who believed in monophysitism. This doctrine maintains that the Lord Jesus Christ has only one nature, the divine, not two natures, the human as well as the divine.

The Coptic Church has never believed in monophysitism the way it was portrayed in the Council of Chalcedon! In that Council, monophysitism meant believing in one nature. Copts believe that the Lord is perfect in His divinity, and He is perfect in His humanity, but His divinity and His humanity were united in one nature called "the nature of the incarnate word", which was reiterated by Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Copts, thus, believe in two natures "human" and "divine" that are united in one "without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration" (from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic divine liturgy). These two natures "did not separate for a moment or the twinkling of an eye" (also from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic divine liturgy).

The Coptic Church was misunderstood in the 5th century at the Council of Chalcedon. Perhaps the Council understood the Church correctly, but they wanted to exile the Church, to isolate it and to abolish the Egyptian, independent Pope, who maintained that Church and State should be separate. Despite all of this, the Coptic Church has remained very strict and steadfast in its faith. Whether it was a conspiracy from the Western Churches to exile the Coptic Church as a punishment for its refusal to be politically influenced, or whether Pope Dioscurus didn't quite go the extra mile to make the point that Copts are not monophysite, the Coptic Church has always felt a mandate to reconcile "semantic" differences between all Christian Churches. This is aptly expressed by the current 117th successor of Saint Mark, Pope Shenouda III. Throughout the last century, the Coptic Church has played an important role in the ecumenical movement. The Coptic Church is one of the founders of the World Council of Churches. It has remained a member of that council since 1948 A.D. The Coptic Church is a member of the All African Council of Churches (AACC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The Church plays an important role in the Christian movement by conducting dialogues aiming at resolving the theological differences with the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian, and Evangelical Churches.

Perhaps the greatest glory of the Coptic Church is its Cross. Copts take pride in the persecution they have sustained as early as May 8, 68 A.D., when their Patron Saint Mark was slain on Easter Monday after being dragged from his feet by Roman soldiers all over Alexandria's streets and alleys. The Copts have been persecuted by almost every ruler of Egypt. Their Clergymen have been tortured and exiled even by their Christian brothers after the schism of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. and until the Arab's conquest of Egypt in 641 A.D. To emphasize their pride in their cross, Copts adopted a calendar, called the Calendar of the Martyrs, which begins its era on August 29, 284 A.D., in commemoration of those who died for their faith during the rule of Diocletian the Roman Emperor. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons and in the Coptic Church Lectionary.

For the four centuries that followed the Arab's conquest of Egypt, the Coptic Church generally flourished and Egypt remained basically Christian. This is due to a large extent to the fortunate position that the Copts enjoyed, for Mohammed -the Prophet of Islam-, who had an Egyptian wife named "Coptic Maria" (mother of Ibrahim his son), preached especial kindness towards Copts: "When you conquer Egypt, be kind to the Copts for they are your proteges and kith and kin". Copts, thus, were allowed to freely practice their religion and were to a large degree autonomous, provided they continued to pay a special tax, called "Gezya", that qualifies them as "Ahl Zemma" proteges (protected). Individuals who cannot afford to pay this tax were faced with the choice of either converting to Islam or losing their civil right to be "protected", which in some instances meant being killed. Copts, despite additional sumptuary laws that were imposed on them in 750-868 A.D. and 905-935 A.D. under the Abbasid Dynasties, prospered and their Church enjoyed one of its most peaceful era. Surviving literature from monastic centers, dating back from the 8th to the 11th century, shows no drastic break in the activities of Coptic craftsmen, such as weavers, leather-binders, painters, and wood-workers. Throughout that period, the Coptic language remained the language of the land, and it was not until the second half of the 11th century that the first bi-lingual Coptic-Arabic liturgical manuscripts started to appear. One of the first complete Arabic texts is the 13th century text by Awlaad El-Assal (children of the Honey Maker), in which the laws, cultural norms and traditions of the Copts at this pivotal time, 500 years after the Islamic conquest of Egypt were detailed. The adoption of the Arabic language as the language used in Egyptians' every-day's life was so slow that even in the 15th century al-Makrizi implied that the Coptic Language was still largely in use. Up to this day, the Coptic Language continues to be the liturgical language of the Church.

The Christian face of Egypt started to change by the beginning of the second millennium A.D., when Copts, in addition to the "Gezya" tax, suffered from specific disabilities, some of which were serious and interfered with their freedom of worship. For example, there were restrictions on repairing old Churches and building new ones, on testifying in court, on public behavior, on adoption, on inheritance, on public religious activities, and on dress codes. Slowly but steadily, by the end of the 12th century, the face of Egypt changed from a predominantly Christian to a predominantly Muslim country and the Coptic community occupied an inferior position and lived in some expectation of Muslim hostility, which periodically flared into violence. It is remarkable that the well-being of Copts was more or less related to the well-being of their rulers. In particular, the Copts suffered most in those periods when Arab dynasties were at their low. The position of the Copts began to improve early in the 19th century under the stability and tolerance of Muhammad Ali's dynasty. The Coptic community ceased to be regarded by the state as an administrative unit and, by 1855 A.D., the main mark of Copts' inferiority, the "Gezya" tax was lifted, and shortly thereafter Copts started to serve in the Egyptian army. The 1919 A.D. revolution in Egypt, the first grassroots display of Egyptian identity in centuries, stands as a witness to the homogeneity of Egypt's modern society with both its Muslim and Coptic sects. Today, this homogeneity is what keeps the Egyptian society united against the religious intolerance of extremist groups, who occasionaly subject the Copts to persecution and terror. Modern day martyrs, like Father Marcos Khalil, serve as reminders of the miracle of Coptic survival.

Despite persecution, the Coptic Church as a religious institution has never been controlled or allowed itself to control the governments in Egypt. This long-held position of the Church concerning the separation between State and Religion stems from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, when he asked his followers to submit to their rulers: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'' [Mathew 22:21]. The Coptic Church has never forcefully resisted authorities or invaders and was never allied with any powers, for the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are clear: "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.'' (Mathew 26:52). The miraculous survival of the Coptic Church till this day and age is a living proof of the validity and wisdom of these teachings.

Today, there are over 10 million Copts (out of a population of some 67 million Egyptians) who pray and share communion in daily masses in thousands of Coptic Churches in Egypt. This is in addition to another 1.5 million immigrant Copts who practice their faith in hundreds of churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Brazil, and many other countries in Africa and Asia. Inside Egypt Copts live in every province and in no one of these provinces are they a majority. Their cultural, historical, and spiritual treasures are spread all over Egypt, even in its most remote oasis, the Kharga Oasis, deep in the western desert. As individuals, Copts have reached prestigious academic and professional stature all over the world. One such individual is Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali the Sixth United Nations Secretary-General (1992-1997). Another is Dr. Magdy Yacoub one of the world's most famous heart surgeons.

Copts observe seven canonical sacraments: Baptism, Christmation (Confirmation), Eucharist, Confession (Penance), Orders, Matrimony, and Unction of the sick. Baptism is performed few weeks after birth by immersing the whole body of the newborn into especially consecrated water three times. Confirmation is performed immediately after Baptism. Regular confession with a personal priest, called the father of confession, is necessary to receive the Eucharist. It is customary for a whole family to pick the same priest as a father of confession, thus, making of that priest a family counselor. Of all seven sacraments, only Matrimony cannot be performed during a fasting season. Polygamy is illegal, even if recognized by the civil law of the land. Divorce is not allowed except in the case of adultery, annulment due to bigamy, or other extreme circumstances, which must be reviewed by a special council of Bishops. Divorce can be requested by either husband or wife. Civil divorce is not recognized by the Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church does not have and does not mind any civil law of the land as long as it does not interfere with the Church's sacraments. The Church does not have (and actually refuses to canonize) an official position vis-à-vis some controversial issues (e.g. abortion). While the church has clear teachings about such matters (e.g. abortion interferes with God's will), it is the position of the Church that such matters are better resolved on a case-by-case basis by the father of confession, as opposed to having a blanket canon that makes a sin of such practices.

The Copts have seasons of fasting matched by no other Christian community. Out of the 365 days of the year, Copts fast for over 210 days. During fasting, no animal products (meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, butter, etc.) are allowed. Moreover, no food or drink whatsoever may be taken between sunrise and sunset. These strict fasting rules are usually relaxed by priests on an individual basis to accommodate for illness or weakness. Lent, known as "the Great Fast", is largely observed by all Copts. It starts with a pre-Lent fast of one week, followed by a 40-day fast commemorating Christ's fasting on the mountain, followed by the Holy week, the most sacred week (called Pascha) of the Coptic Calendar, which climaxes with the Crucifix on Good Friday and ends with the joyous Easter. Other fasting seasons of the Coptic Church include, the Advent (Fast of the Nativity), the Fast of the Apostles, the Fast of the Virgin Saint Mary, and the Fast of Nineveh.

The Coptic Orthodox Church's clergy is headed by the Pope of Alexandria and includes Bishops who oversee the priests ordained in their dioceses. Both the Pope and the Bishops must be monks; they are all members of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod (Council), which meets regularly to oversee matters of faith and pastorship in the Church. The Pope of the Coptic Church, although highly regarded by all Copts, does not enjoy any state of supremacy or infallibility. Today, there are over 60 Coptic Bishops governing dioceses inside Egypt as well as dioceses outside Egypt, such as in Jerusalem, Sudan, Western Africa, France, England, and the United States. The direct pastoral responsibility of Coptic congregations in any of these dioceses falls on Priests, who must be married and must attend the Catechetical School before being ordained.

There are two other non-clerical bodies who participate in taking care of Church affairs. The first is a popularly-elected Coptic Lay Council, which appeared on the stage in 1883 A.D. to act as a liaison between the Church and the Government. The second is a joint lay-clerical committee, which appeared on the stage in 1928 A.D. to oversee and monitor the management of the Coptic Church's endowments in accordance with the Egyptian laws.

Daily, in all Coptic Churches all over the world, Copts pray for the reunion of all Christian Churches. They pray for Egypt, its Nile, its crops, its president, its army, its government, and above all its people. They pray for the world's peace and for the well-being of the human race.

The Coptic Orthodox Church Today

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church is headed by the Pope of Alexandria, who is His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, and comprises some 90 Bishops who oversee the clergy and pastoral care in their dioceses – both inside Egypt and in the Diaspora.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is an active member of the World Council of Churches, and was the founding member of the Middle East Council of Churches in 1974.

Today, there are over 10 million Copts in Egypt (out of a population of approximately 60 million Egyptians). And in addition, there are about 2 million Copts who have migrated out of Egypt and who practice their faith in hundreds of churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Brazil, and many other countries in Africa and Asia.

There are over 80 churches in North and South America, including Canada, more than 50 churches throughout the European continent, more than 15 churches across Central and South Africa, and more than 40 churches in Australia and New Zealand. Most recently, the last decade has seen the expansion of the Coptic Orthodox Church into North and South East Asia, through professional Copts who have taken up residency in the region.

Accordingly, in June 2002, His Holiness Pope Shenouda officially ordained and appointed His Grace Bishop Daniel, to be the first bishop with jurisdiction for the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, as well as South and North East Asia. Bishop Daniel has responsibility for the pastoral services and activities of the Coptic Orthodox Church in these regions.

The Values of the Copts

The Coptic people, first and foremost, hold fast to the traditions and teachings of the early Church Fathers, and remain a deeply spiritual and biblically rooted people. In their daily life, the Copts have always fostered and promoted five key attributes:

The importance of having a good education

The importance of having strong family ties and values

The importance of having successful careers

The importance of contributing and adding value to the society in which they live

The importance of serving and helping others who are less able and fortunate

The importance of living in peace and harmony with all other sectors of the community

The Contribution of the Copts in Society

As individuals, the Copts are known and recognized in particular for their academic and professional aptitude, and have reached prestigious academic and professional stature all over the world.

In each country to which the Copts have migrated, they have formed an integral part of that society and have made positive contributions: socially, culturally, intellectually and academically. The Coptic Orthodox Church has always stated the importance of not being isolated communities, but integrating and sharing with other communities, whilst maintaining their rich Christian heritage.

In this respect, the Coptic Orthodox Church enshrines and promotes the very values of life, which enable Coptic people to reach out and learn from all that is valuable in their surroundings, while encouraging them to be their authentic selves.

Diocese Bodies

The Coptic Church in Australia was established when a few Copts diligently searched for a permanent home for their Church in Sydney. An old Methodist Church was offered for sale and the Church Council under the leadership of Fr. Mina Nematalla purchased the double storey Church building at 24 A Railway Road, Sydenham NSW.

The Church was given the name of St. Mary and St. Mina’s Coptic Orthodox Church. It was to be the first Coptic Church in Australia and the first owned by Coptic migrants outside of Egypt. The first liturgy celebrated in the newly purchased church was on the 29 March, 1970.

Through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the guidance of our Pope, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic congregation in Australia has grown to approximately 100,000 people as at June 2003. Together with the exponential growth in the number of Copts in Australia, there has been an increase in the number of Coptic churches, schools, colleges, monasteries and elderly centers.

Close to 33 years since the first church in Sydney was purchased, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III ordained Bishop Sorial to be the bishop of Melbourne and its affiliated regions, which include Tasmania, Adelaide, Perth and New Zealand, and Bishop Daniel to be the bishop of Sydney and its affiliated Regions, which include NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

Copts of Queensland

In Queensland there are two Coptic Orthodox Churches. One is in Brisbane under the name of St Mary and St Joseph, and the other one is in the Gold Coast under the name of St Mina and St Anthony. Fr David Mahrous, parish priest of Brisbane church provides service for a congregation of over 800 members.

Fr yacoub El Antouny, a monk from St Anthony’s monastery in the Red Sea- Egypt, serves a congregation of more than 200 members. Also both priests run a roster, to provide service to many other Copts who settled in different regions of Queensland as Toowomba, Townsville, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast and North Queensland.

In the Gold Coast Church, Fr Yacoub is the Chairman of the Church Committee which is formed of a secretary, treasurer and 5 general members. The Church committee overseas the management of various services, activities and projects that interest the congregation members.

The Coptic church in the Gold Coast runs various spiritual, social, character development, sport activities and recreational events. In addition to the Mass and prayer services led by Fr yacoub, the church provide spiritual and character development classes and seminars, as well as group activities for various age groups, starting from age of 3 year old to senior citizens and pensioners. The church pride itself with its Sunday school service, Choir group, Soccer team, basketball team, women’s group, Youth development meetings and camping activities.

Although, the Coptic Church in the Gold Coast is young in existence and modest in its resources, but it is running a very successful and balanced spiritual and social program putting the spiritual and social development of its members as its prime goal, through the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy spirit, as driving force to all the servants and volunteer workers.

Future Vision

1-    Building Sunday School Classes to accommodate the increase in numbers of children and youths

2-    Sport fields to accommodate for various sport activities and events

3-    Audio-Video and IT centre to enrich the church resources in the education and preservation of the Coptic                    heritage and languages

4-    Consolidate communication with Government and Council representatives to maximize the benefits to                         congregation /community members.

Prominent Coptic figures

Politicians and prominent Copts