Coptic Egypt - Post Shenouda III

"the Copts are not a minority, but an integral part of the human cultural mass of the Egyptian people" -  Muhammad H. Haykal

The recent loss of the Coptic Pope of Alexandria, Shenouda III, is not only a great tragedy for Copts but also the greater global religious community. His efforts to forward the inter-faith dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims within the greater Middle East region is worthy of considerable praise. One could go so far as to say that the work of Shenouda III is comparable to that of the late Catholic Pope John Paul II with regards to bridging theological divides. However, as in the event of the a great and prosperous secular leader passing, the death of Shenouda leaves a great void within the Coptic Church and clouds its future with great uncertainty.
   These fears are not solely the result of Shenouda's death, but also the events which have blighted Egypt, the seat of the Coptic Pope. The overthrow of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak resulted in a relative power vacuum, now being filled, following an election, by pro-Islam and Islamist politicians such as the Muslim Brotherhood. This has worsened the fears of Coptic Christians as their position may now suffer from a growing persecution at the hands of Muslim opposition. Without a doubt, the future of Coptic Christians in Egypt is at a potential crossroads.

   What choices does a minority religion have in the face of an uncertain future? When such a minority constitutes 10% of the Egyptian population, it is clear that they have a fair representation of the population. Within the nation of Egypt, it is without a doubt true that though politicians may now try to squeeze the Copts out of areas of society, the general populous had a mind of its own. The experiences of the residences of Cairo, Alexandria, or along the Suez Canal will have had very fruitful relationships and friendships with members of the Coptic Church. As is a common approach within the UK, Egyptians should not approach each other as Copt or Muslim, but rather as citizens of the same nation. Those that state they are a member of a 'minority' are ostracising themselves through a potentially debilitating label. Further more, the Arab ethnic group which make up the vast majority of the population can claim ancestry. It may be the case that 95% of Egyptian Muslims come from a family who in the past were members of the Coptic Church. Egypt's people are not just joined by a shared current respect for each other, but also by a proud shared demographic and ecumenical past.

  Now that a vague understanding of internal matters have been considered, a secondary question may be asked: who is going to help the Coptic Church if and when disaster strikes? When one considers the greater  Christian community and denominational representation around the Middle East and East Africa, the support which the Copts can call in is substantial. The Coptic Church is a member of a group collectively termed the Oriental Orthodox Church. This consists in total of the: Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and Armenian Apostolic churches. This considerable collection of churches from varying regions represents a support base similar to an Orthodox UN. If the Egyptian authorities were to begin bringing pressure down on Coptic civilians, then the greater Orinental Orthodox community could offer both physical and spiritual backing. In a region where the dominant religion (Islam) is known to impose certain restraints on non-Muslims, thus creating a second-class citizen institution, those who experience such a strangle hold on their lives need a capacity to resist. If all this was to take place before a new Pope is elected to replace Shenouda III, then the power of unity with the Oriental Orthodoxy my be invaluable. 


With his death, Pope Shenouda III left behind his both a great legacy and an uncertain future. After 41 years of stability, the Coptic Church must now steer its leadership and laity forward into a post-Mubarak Egypt. Though the temptation is great, they must not fear the days, months and years to come. They are blessed not only with support base within Egypt from Copts and Muslims alike; but also that they can rely upon the bonds between themselves and their Oriental Orthodox brothers. Instead of a bleak and dark future, Copts everywhere must embrace the bright future which is laid out before them. With their Apostolic tradition dating back to St. Mark, and a long history of opposition from Muslim and Christian alike, it is hard to see their disappearance happening any time soon.