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Questions & Answers

Church Authority

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › The Church › Church Authority

The question

What is your justification for stepping out on your own authority and not following the Pope of Rome? I am looking at the original argument about the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. I see Mary as the Mother of God and find many proofs especially in St. Louis de Mont Fort's work. Does your Church understand the gravity of this error? From where is your authority derived? [Scripture?] What about tradition?

Thanks for your help. By the way I am a Roman Catholic layperson. It seems your beliefs are very reverent and I just do not understand the conflict of this time period. I certainly can see all kinds of conflicting areas since Vatican II.

The answer

When the authority does not abide by the teaching of the Scriptures and the Holy Tradition, then we ought to obey God more than people. The Coptic Orthodox Church venerates Saint Mary, and devoutly asserts that the Ever-Virgin is indeed the Mother of God, Theotokos. The discourse on this very critical subject was indoctrinated at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. [Third Ecumenical Council, convened by 200 bishops and presided over by St Cyril of Alexandria to confront the Nestorian heresy]. Hence, the "Introduction to the Creed" was added:


"We exalt you, the mother of the true Light. We glorify you, O saint, the Theotokos (Mother of God), for you brought forth unto us the Savior of the whole world; He came and saved our souls.
Glory to You, our Master, Our King, Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the firmness of the churches, the forgiveness of sins.
We proclaim the Holy Trinity in one Godhead. We worship Him. We glorify Him.
           Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen”  

St. Cyril of Alexandria [Letter to the Monks of Egypt], writes, “I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the Holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the Holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God?”

For more information on Christology and Mariology in the perspective of the Coptic Orthodox Church, please visit the links below:

https://suscopts.org/resources/literature/orthodox-faith/
https://suscopts.org/resources/literature/orthodox-faith/christology/
https://suscopts.org/resources/literature/orthodox-faith/mariology/
https://suscopts.org/resources/literature/orthodox-faith/difference-between-catholicism-and-orthodoxy/

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2236 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.