FAQ About our Church
What does Orthodox mean? Are you Christian?
Yes we are Christians! In fact we are the earliest Christians.
Orthodoxy is the original church. Orthodoxy comes from the Greek words orthos (“right”/“true”) & doxa (“worship”/“belief”); and so means “right worship”. What we believe and practice, is what Christians have been doing for 2000 years!
But this does not mean that we are a museum, or some archaic fossil. The Orthodox Church empowers all people from all walks of life to love God, others and themselves. Orthodoxy is not a denomination of Christianity but rather is pre-denominational in that it existed before the splits of Christianity; Orthodox Christians are the original Christians!
But what does Coptic mean?
Christianity first began in Egypt after St. Mark the Apostle preached to them in 43AD of the one truth that Jesus Christ had revealed.
The word Coptic is derived from the Greek word “aigyptos” meaning “Egyptian”. So Coptic Orthodoxy is the Egyptian expression of Orthodox Christianity in the same way that there is Greek Orthodoxy or Russian Orthodoxy. But this doesn’t mean it is only for Egyptians! Rather, because Coptic Orthodoxy developed in Egypt, most of its members were Egyptian, but now that the Church has spread to Western countries like Australia it is for all who seek the “right worship” of God.
What do Coptic Christians believe?
The Orthodox Church believes in the tri-unity (Trinity) of three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God in three Persons. We believe the Son, Jesus Christ, came down from Heaven, became man and was crucified for all of mankind to be saved from their sins. Three days later He arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven to be with the Father - this is where we, too, aim to go at the end of our lives. This is the belief that is common to all who claim to be Christians.
What is the meaning of a Sacrament in the church and what role do the Sacraments play in the Coptic Church?
The word Sacrament in Greek means “mystery” and, as summarised by St. Augustine, is “a visible sign of an invisible reality”. This invisible reality is a grace which is granted to the believer. For example, in the Sacrament of Baptism the visible sign is water but invisibly confers the power of the grace purchased for us by the Passion/life, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the role of saints in the Orthodox Church? Do you worship them?
We do not worship anyone but God. We do not worship the saints but rather we honour them, not because of who they were as individuals, but because of who Christ made them to be.
Their role for us is two-fold:
They are our role models and examples, we ask the Lord, through prayer, that we may imitate their Grace-filled lives.
We can develop a relationship with the saints so they can intercede on our behalf before God to answer our prayers. We know this because St. John’s vision of Heaven is recorded in the book of Revelation in the Bible, where we see that the prayers of the saints are presented before the Lord.
“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” - Revelation 8:4
Therefore, we know that those in Heaven are aware of our prayers and are presenting them before God, meaning we can ask for their intercessions as they are closer to God and are no longer struggling with worldly things.
If you’d like to learn more about the patron saint of our church, St. Cyril of Alexandria the Pillar of Faith, click here for a short biography and click here for an introduction to his writings.
How many Sacraments are there in the Coptic Orthodox Church? What are they?
Although traditionally we understand everything in the Church to be sacramental through Jesus Christ who fills life itself with the Spirit of God, nowadays when we refer to Sacraments we are referring to these seven:
Baptism (the gateway to the path of salvation)
Chrismation (Anointing with the Holy Myron oil which includes remnants of the spices laid on Jesus’ body when He was in the tomb. It also represents the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within the baptised person).
Confession (with Repentance)
Holy Eucharist (Communion)
Unction of the Sick (Based on this Biblical teaching: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” - James 5:14-15)
Holy Matrimony (marriage)
Priesthood (without priests we can’t access the other Sacraments!)
What is a “Liturgy”?
The Divine Liturgy is the backbone of spiritual life for our Church and our source of nourishment. It is when the congregation gathers together in the presence of the Holy Spirit to repeat what the Lord taught us to do: to take bread and wine through prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit such that they are transformed into the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Divine Liturgy is how the Church grows and is the secret to the strength of the Orthodox Church.
What is Church Tradition and why is it important?
Jesus Christ taught the Apostles and the Apostles taught those who were carefully selected, to ensure the message of the Gospel remained untarnished. This is known as Apostolic succession of Church Tradition, i.e. the receiving of the unchanged teachings of Christ through the Apostles and their direct successors. Therefore, Church Tradition is important because it means we are remaining faithful to, and united with, the true Gospel of Christ.
What is “fasting” and why do you fast?
Fasting is to abstain from food and in the Coptic church is usually practiced via a vegan diet (abstaining from meat/meat products). However, we believe any genuine period of fasting must be accompanied by increased time and depth in prayer and repentance, otherwise it would be no different to a diet.
We fast for many reasons, including, but not limited to:
It helps us to enter Heaven by “the narrow gate” as Jesus taught is Luke 13:24 and is an act of asceticism.
It is a means by which we entreat the Lord for his mercy, forgiveness and favour (e.g. the people of Nineveh).
It is a form of worship and devotion to the Lord.
What is “Tasbeha”? Where can I listen to it and find the lyrics?
Tasbeha is the Midnight Praise of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Praise consists of various canticles directly from the Holy Bible, known in the Coptic Language as a "Hoos", as well as other praises that vary by day of the week.
The 1st Hoos (the praise after crossing the Red Sea) is based on Exodus 15.
The 2nd Hoos is based on Psalm 135.
The 3rd Hoos (the praise of the 3 saintly youth) is based on the hymn sung by the 3 youth in the furnace of Babylon.
The 4th Hoos is based on Psalm 148, 149 & 150.
The Theotokias in Tasbeha were written by St. Kyrillos the Pillar of Faith to defeat Nestorius' heresy at the time that St. Mary wasn't the mother of God and that she was just the mother of Christ who was just a normal person who had His divinity descend upon Him later. St. Kyrillos wrote the Theotokias to prove that St. Mary was the God-bearer through the use of all the Old Testament symbols. Theotokos = mother of God/God-bearer.
If you would like to listen to Tasbeha, below is an audio sample. If you would like to access the lyrics, click here.