Non-Coptic Oriental view of Copts

[Nine_Two]

I hope I’ve made this title as clear as I can. A bunch of other threads have put this question into my head, I think I understand how the Coptic Church views itself in relation to the Oriental Communion, but I’m curious how other Oriental Churches view its position relative to the hierarchies. That is how much control they are allowed over other Oriental Churches, etc.

 

[Wesley7]

**Coptic Christianity.

If there were a Coptic church in my area I would definitely check it out.

There is a OO Oriental Orthodox forum over at ChristianForums.**

 

[Wesley7]

I hope I’ve made this title as clear as I can. A bunch of other threads have put this question into my head, I think I understand how the Coptic Church views itself in relation to the Oriental Communion, but I’m curious how other Oriental Churches view its position relative to the hierarchies. That is how much control they are allowed over other Oriental Churches, etc.

If my facts are accurate Pope Shenouda III is the Pope of the Coptic/OO? “Egyptian” Orthodox Church.

 

[mardukm]

Dear brother Nine_Two,

I hope I’ve made this title as clear as I can. A bunch of other threads have put this question into my head, I think I understand how the Coptic Church views itself in relation to the Oriental Communion, but I’m curious how other Oriental Churches view its position relative to the hierarchies. That is how much control they are allowed over other Oriental Churches, etc.

In relation to the Syrian Orthodox and the Armenian Apostolic Churches, administratively speaking, no control whatsoever.

In relation to the Ethopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, the Coptic Pope has the same role as the Pope of Rome has to the many Catholic Churches. The Coptic Pope is looked to in questions of doctrine, and the patriarchs of those Churches explicitly seek communion from him upon election (e.g., during circumstance of the irregular patriarchal election in the Eritrean Church, the question on everyone’s mind was "who will HH Pope Shenoute extend communion to?). Otherwise, they are autocephalous - but in reality, they function autonomously.

This autocephaly-as-functional-autonomy is the general paradigm of the OO Churches.

For the Armenians, the Catholicos of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin is the Supreme head of the Catholicos of Cilicia, and the Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople.

The Syrian Orthodox recognize the Patriarch of Antioch as the Supreme head, and gives the title to no other heads of local Churches. The highest local head is the Catholicos of the Malankara Syriac Church; all other local Churches are headed by Metropolitans.

I hope that helps.

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[Nine_Two]

Dear brother Nine_Two,

In relation to the Syrian Orthodox and the Armenian Apostolic Churches, administratively speaking, no control whatsoever.

In relation to the Ethopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, the Coptic Pope has the same role as the Pope of Rome has to the many Catholic Churches. The Coptic Pope is looked to in questions of doctrine, and the patriarchs of those Churches explicitly seek communion from him upon election (e.g., during circumstance of the irregular patriarchal election in the Eritrean Church, the question on everyone’s mind was "who will HH Pope Shenoute extend communion to?). Otherwise, they are autocephalous - but in reality, they function autonomously.

This autocephaly-as-functional-autonomy is the general paradigm of the OO Churches.

For the Armenians, the Catholicos of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin is the Supreme head of the Catholicos of Cilicia, and the Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople.

The Syrian Orthodox recognize the Patriarch of Antioch as the Supreme head, and gives the title to no other heads of local Churches. The highest local head is the Catholicos of the Malankara Syriac Church; all other local Churches are headed by Metropolitans.

I hope that helps.

Blessings,
Marduk

You answered my question exactly, thank you. It was this paradigm that confused me as I had read about the Ethiopians and Eritrians being reliant on Alexandria to quite a degree yet never about any of the other Oriental Churches.