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Questions & Answers

Catholic Church

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Other Churches and Faiths › Catholic Church

The question

What is the difference between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Coptic (Egyptian) Catholic Church?

The answer

When Catholic missionaries came to Egypt with the claim to preach Christianity to non-Christians, they managed to convince some of the Coptic Orthodox Christians to leave their church and become Catholics. They approached them with the false pretence that they did not need to change anything in their faith or church rituals except that they will be under the papacy of the Pope of Rome instead of our Pope of Alexandria.

The Coptic Catholic Divine liturgy is very similar to the Coptic Orthodox except for the Creed ; as the Catholic creed is recited instead. In addition, being Catholic, the Coptic Catholic Church  has adopted all the new dogmas of the Catholic Church. For example, the Immaculate Conception, the purgatory, the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son etc.

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

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 34 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.