Copts in Ireland

[Ite_ad_Ioseph]

I guess I’ll put this here.It involves “Eastern” Christians so it fits the category. A thread on another forum was discussing how the Sign of the Cross is made from one direction to another, but vice versa in the other rite, mainly, the Western and Eastern ways. Someone mentioned that originally all priests made the sign from left to right. He said the Copts missionary attempts in Ireland may have influenced this in the Roman Rite.
What? When did Egyptians get to Ireland? Before or after St. Patrick?
Merry Christmas

 

[Addai]

I guess I’ll put this here.It involves “Eastern” Christians so it fits the category. A thread on another forum was discussing how the Sign of the Cross is made from one direction to another, but vice versa in the other rite, mainly, the Western and Eastern ways. Someone mentioned that originally all priests made the sign from left to right. He said the Copts missionary attempts in Ireland may have influenced this in the Roman Rite.
What? When did Egyptians get to Ireland? Before or after St. Patrick?
Merry Christmas

Actually I think it goes back to Saint Anthony… As soon as Egyptian monasticism became famous people came from all over “The World” at that time. Including Ireland. While there were some Egyptian missionaries that went North, the opposite was more the norm.

A good bit of “Celtic” culture was lifted from Egypt, The Celtic Cross for instance was an direct copy of earlier Coptic ones. The Irish also were some of the few Catholics (other then the Greek Catholics of the time) that had any proficency with Koine Greek which was something they got from their contact with the Coptic Church, besides their introduction to monasticism.

 

[Madaglan]

From what I’ve read, some Coptic monks had fled to Ireland and lived there the duration of their lives. They brought with them manuscripts and traditions from their homeland.

I’m not sure if the Celtic tradition influenced the Roman tradition in regards to the sign of the Cross. It’s possible, but a likely explanation is that some people started making the sign of the cross as they saw it made by the priest blessing them, and it stuck.

Speaking of Ireland, there are many Polish Catholics who have immigrated there in recent days. I wonder how many of these Polish Catholics are Eastern Catholic.

 

[Ite_ad_Ioseph]

So the strong monastic tradition in Ireland comes from the strong Coptic tradition?