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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 1156

Faith Q&A › Catechism › 3. The Order of the Heavenly Hosts

What do we know about the archangel Michael?

The answer

The western Church tends to talk about Michael, the great among the archangels; but in the eastern Church, he is seen more as the leader of the army of the Lord, which means that he leads all the hosts in war against the devil and evil. He is called “Michael,” which means, “who is like God?” because he loves humanity and is zealous for them. God grants him authority to fight the dragon on their behalf (Rev. 12:7). He has a special role as a messenger from God to protect His people in difficult situations (Tob. 12:6, 15; John 5:4; Rev. 12:7–9). The Jews count him as the guardian angel of their nation, while Christians see him as the guardian angel of the Church. The Copts are accustomed to build a church in his name at the top of the highest building of each monastery, since he is the guardian angel of monasteries and monks.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volumes 1 and 2, Books 1–7. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.