The Pope of The Coptic Orthodox Church is the head of The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, which has approximately 50 million members worldwide, and is selected by the Holy Spirit, rather than being elected by other clergymen (see Papal Election). Though the official title for the Coptic Orthodox Pope is "Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and the See of St. Mark", the current seat of the Coptic Pope is in Cairo, in St. Mark's Cathedral.
Selection
The Coptic Orthodox Pope must be a monk, nominated by fellow monks at the time when a new pope is to be selected. Then, a Holy Synod narrows the list of nominees to three monks, after which their staffs are placed on the altar and a mass is conducted for three days. After which, doves are released to be guided by the Holy Spirit to select the next head of the Coptic Church. Whichever staff the doves land on is announced as the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Upon selection, whoever is selected cannot refuse the position, as it is the will of God. This was last seen in 1971, after the departure of His Holiness, Pope Cyril VI and the selection of His Holiness, Pope Shenouda III.
Duties
The duties of the Coptic Pope are to guide the Coptic Orthodox Church in strong faith. In recent years, the Coptic Pope has developed missions to preach Christianity to various parts of the world, including Saint Kitts in the Carribean. Among other duties is to canonize saints
CopticOrthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately 42).
The CopticChurch regarded that the ousting of Pope Dioscorus of Alexandria in the council of Chalcedon was in part due to the rivalry between the Bishops of Alexandria and Rome.
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria قداسة البابا كيرلس السادس
Abraham the Syrian was Pope of the CopticOrthodoxChurch from 975 to 978.
That church, which was partly destroyed, was being used as a sugar warehouse.
The Pope also decreed that the three-day grace period which he had requested from the Caliph, and which he and the bishops and priests spent in prayer and fasting, be a regular period of fasting to be observed by all Copts every year.
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