Who Is a Coptic?
As mentioned previously, there are more than 20 different Catholic Rites and several churches which are all in communion with and under obedience to Rome. All these Catholics are fully Catholic in the complete sense. In other words, they hold the same doctrines, receive the same sacraments, and are under the same hierarchy.
The Church of Alexandria was one of the original centers of Christianity. Its Liturgy is attributed to St. Mark the Evangelist, who was commissioned by St. Peter to go to Alexandria and establish the Church there in 42 AD. Three more churches flow from this liturgical tradition: the Coptic Catholic Church, the Eritrean Catholic Church, and the Ethiopian Catholic Church. All of these, while preserving their ancient Rite of the Divine Liturgy, profess the same Catholic Faith, are united in the same sacraments, and believe the same body of doctrine.
In 1741, the Egyptian Catholics who returned to communion with Rome formed the Coptic Catholic Church. The Patriarch of Alexandria leads the 200,000 faithful of this group who are primarily spread out across Egypt and the Near East. Most Copts, however, are not Catholics. In fact, non-Catholic Coptic and Ethiopian churches separated from communion with Rome in 451 when they refused to submit to the dogmatic teachings of the Council of Chalcedon.
Coptics Are Monophysites
Monophysitism is a condemned heresy which claims that Jesus Christ was a joining of the Godhead with the human person Jesus, which occurred at the Incarnation. Monophysitism was a reaction against Nestorianism, which emphasized Jesus’ two natures to the point where He was basically two Persons. Monophysitism held that the divinity of Christ essentially dominated His human nature so that Jesus was one Person Who effectively only had one nature – the divine nature.[1]
(Note: mono is the Greek root for ‘one’ and physis the root for ‘nature.’)
Eutyches, a monk from Constantinople, advanced this heresy and was excommunicated in 448 A.D. Monophysitism was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Nevertheless, it received much imperial support over the subsequent centuries, led to several eastern schisms with Rome, chief among them the Coptics, and caused many political, social, and ecclesial problems. Various Monophysite groups were in schism when the Muslims overran the Middle East and North Africa in the 7th century. (Note: As is common with ecclesial divisions, many more factors were involved than just doctrinal orthodoxy versus heresy. Political intrigue, cultural hegemony, economic dominance, and military jockeying were all significant factors in the monophysite schism.)
The Copts currently comprise Egypt’s largest minority population (since the majority is Muslim), and they are the largest population of Christians in the Middle East. By the 20th century, the larger body of ethnic Egyptian Christians began to call themselves Coptic Orthodox, in order to distinct themselves from both the Catholic Copts and from the Eastern Orthodox. The Copts are consequently neither in communion with the Catholic Church nor the Eastern Orthodox churches. In fact, the Copts are governed by their own leader, who is also called by the title of “Pope.”[2]
The current leader for this group is Pope Tawadros II.
The Coptic Church claims to adhere to a doctrine called Miaphysitism, which is an idea that “in the one person of Jesus Christ, Divinity and Humanity are united in one nature (‘physis’), the two being united without separation, without confusion, and without alteration.” However, both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches condemn the Coptics, regardless of the term used, as heretical as a result of this belief.[3]
The “Martyrdom” of 21 Coptic Orthodox
On February 15, 2015, 21 Coptic Christians were brutally killed by ISIS militants. The incident occurred in Libya. The victims were primarily Coptic Christians from Egypt who were working in Libya, except for one individual who was from Ghana. A video released by ISIS showed the execution of 21 individuals, mostly Egyptian Copts, who were forced to kneel on a beach before being beheaded. The footage, which circulated widely, shocked the world and sparked international condemnation.
The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates them as martyred saints on February 15th. And in an unprecedented move, on May 11, 2023, Pope Francis in an audience with Tawadros II stated that their names would be inserted into the Roman Martyrology “as a sign of the spiritual communion that unites our two Churches.”[4]
What Is the Martyrology?
The Roman Martyrology is an official liturgical book of the Catholic Church that contains a catalog of saints and martyrs recognized by the Church. It is an authoritative reference for the celebration of feast days and commemorations of saints throughout the liturgical year. It is read during the Office of Prime by priests and religious. The faithful may wish to obtain a copy of the traditional Roman Martyrology before Vatican II and to read the saints recounted each day, since every day the Church remembers dozens of saints in addition to the primary one in whose honor the Mass for that day is celebrated based on the Liturgical Calendar. (The Divine Office is also available online in English and Latin, as well as through a cell phone app.)
Originally compiled in the 16th century, the Roman Martyrology provides a historical and spiritual account of the lives and deaths of countless martyrs, saints, and holy men and women. It includes individuals from the early Christian era up until the time of its compilation, and it continues to be updated periodically to include new saints and blesseds who have been officially recognized by the Church. It includes all saints – not just martyrs in the precise definition of the word.
The Controversy of Catholics Honoring Coptic Martyrs
To be a martyr, three conditions must be met: one must suffer a corporal death, one must suffer this death “in hatred of the Christian Faith,” and one must accept death voluntarily. Since the Christian Faith is synonymous with the Catholic Faith – and cannot admit those who are heretics – these individuals cannot be called martyrs by a Catholic.
The inclusion of these 21 individuals is also not the first time that non-Catholic “saints” were added to the Martyrology. In 2001, under John Paul II, Theodosius and Anthony of Pečerska (11th century) and Stephen of Perm and Sergius of Radonezh (14th century) were all added.
There Is No Salvation Outside of the Church
The words of Pope Eugene IV published in Cantate Domino in 1441, after the failed attempt at reunification with the Egyptian Copts at the Council of Florence, dogmatically teaches that outside of the Catholic Church there is no salvation:
“The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church.”
Hence, it is contrary to Catholic doctrine to honor as a saint one who is separated from Catholic unity. Not only the Coptic Orthodox but the Eastern Orthodox too must not be honored in the Church’s liturgy. The Eastern Orthodox churches also have fallen into heresy.
The Key Distinction of Formal vs. Material Heretics
And yet, we can nevertheless still hope for the salvation of these 21 men who gave their lives, even if we should not honor them liturgically and even though we should call upon the reversal of their inclusion in the Martyrology. How so? It concerns the crucial distinction of formal as opposed to material heresy.[5]
In a 2015 article on these ‘martyrs,’ the SSPX stated it well:
“Does this mean that these people, especially if they did utter Our Lord’s blessed name as they went to their certain death, are eternally damned? This is where another important distinction must be made. There are certainly numerous cases in which non-Catholics have lived all their lives confined in heretical circles and have had little or no knowledge of the true Church.
“In this case, they form part of what theologians call material heretics, as opposed to formal or obdurate heretics – those who know the true Faith and reject it positively. Such material heretics will not be saved thanks to their error because error saves no one, but rather might be saved despite their error by the fact that they implicitly wished to belong to the true Church founded by Christ, whichever it was. And, in the hypothesis of dying professing Christ’s faith and perhaps in hatred of the true Faith, there is little doubt that they made it safe and went to their eternal reward.
“If we can discuss the use of the term of martyr applied to these 21 victims, we hope with the Catholic Bishop of Giza, Egypt, Antonios Aziz Mina who said: ‘The men entrusted themselves to the One Who would receive them soon after.’”
Our Lady, Exterminatrix of Heresy, Ora Pro Nobis!
May all those who are material heretics formally enter the Catholic Church and be united with us in the profession of the One True Faith established by the One Triune God. And may all those who are formal heretics repent of their errors immediately, else they will suffer eternal damnation. May Our Lady, Exterminatrix of Heresy, pray for this intention with Her Divine Son!
ENDNOTES:
[1] This solemn definition, promulgated by the infallible authority of Holy Mother Church, was issued at Chalcedon by the Fourth General Ecumenical Council (451 AD). The text followed the doctrinal formula written by Pope Leo the Great in his Tome to Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople (449 AD). This credal statement makes it clear that Ebionism, Gnosticism, Docetism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Monophysitism are all heretical:
“We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.”
Source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.iv.i.iii.html
[2] This is an ancient title. For example, one will find old works which refer to Pope Athanasius. He was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 326-373 and fought against the Arian heresy. However, no one ever considered him to be the Bishop of Rome.
[3] This is not doctrinal nitpicking but touches upon the essence of our Faith; which is precisely why an Ecumenical Council treated the matter. If Christ only has one nature, unique to Him, then His nature is neither equal to the Father and the Holy Ghost, nor is He a trueman. That would mean His offering on the Cross (and through Holy Mass) would not then be a sacrifice of human nature by man; thereby lacking an inherent saving efficacy for men.
[4] For much more on this topic, see “Regarding Egyptian Coptic martyrs” by Hilary White at https://hilarywhite.substack.com/p/regarding-egyptian-coptic-martyrs
[5] Definition of heresy in the Father Hardon Dictionary:
“Commonly refers to a doctrinal belief held in opposition to the recognized standards of an established system of thought. Theologically it means an opinion at variance with the authorized teachings of any church, notably the Christian, and especially when this promotes separation from the main body of faithful believers.
“In the Roman Catholic Church, heresy has a very specific meaning. Anyone who, after receiving baptism, while remaining nominally a Christian, pertinaciously denies or doubts any of the truths that must be believed with divine and Catholic faith is considered a heretic. Accordingly four elements must be verified to constitute formal heresy; previous valid baptism, which need not have been in the Catholic Church; external profession of still being a Christian, otherwise a person becomes an apostate; outright denial or positive doubt regarding a truth that the Catholic Church has actually proposed as revealed by God; and the disbelief must be morally culpable, where a nominal Christian refuses to accept what he knows is a doctrinal imperative.
“Objectively, therefore, to become a heretic in the strict canonical sense and be excommunicated from the faithful, one must deny or question a truth that is taught not merely on the authority of the Church but on the word of God revealed in the Scriptures or sacred tradition. Subjectively a person must recognize his obligation to believe. If he acts in good faith, as with most persons brought up in non-Catholic surroundings, the heresy is only material and implies neither guilt nor sin against faith. (Etym. Latin haeresis, from the Greek hairesis, a taking, choice, sect, heresy.)”