Who are the Copts?

To what race or races do they belong?

Are they really the descendants of the Ancient Race of Egypt, or a heterogeneous mixture of the several nations that successively governed Egypt or made it their home?

Copts have often been styled as the modern sons of the Pharaohs. “Cipto” or “Copto” is only the European corruption of the root, which remains in the word Egypt that indicates nationality and not creed. The genuine Egyptians of today, are the Christian Copts who trace direct descent from the ancient Egyptian races to whom the civilization and culture of the ancient world were so largely due. Owing to this fact, the Egyptian Church has been known among foreigners as the Coptic Church and the Copts have been largely and widely identified as the Christian Egyptians.

The Coptic Church is rich with her evangelistic and ascetic life, her genuine patriotic inheritance, her heavenly worship, her spiritual rituals, her effective and living hymns, her beautiful icons, etc. She attracts the heart towards heaven without ignoring actual daily life. We can say that she is an apostolic, contemporary church that carries life and thought to the contemporary man without deviation. One finds in her life, sweetness and power of Spirit, with appreciation to and sanctification of arts, literature and human culture.

The Coptic Church was the first to start monastic movement in all its forms and it is well known for her numerous saints: ascetics, clergymen and laymen. She offered many saints throughout the ages and is still offering the same today. The church believes that practicing the sanctified life and communion with God, the Holy One, is prior to satisfying minds with solid mental studies.

Stained Glass Window courtesy of www.copticartstudio.com