Blessed is Egypt My People

Egypt is the only land in the world to be blessed and honored by a long visit of the 'Holy Family' (about 3 years). " When he [Joseph] arose, he took the young child [Jesus] and His mother [Mary] by night, and departed into Egypt. And remained there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying "Out of Egypt have I called my Son" (Matt 2: 14-15).

Churches, monasteries and landmarks have been built across Egypt at places where the holy family stayed or passed by.  These landmarks are living testimonies to this blessed event in the history of Egypt.

Great Fathers of the Coptic Church

The era of Saint Athanasius, Saint Cyril the Great and Saint Anthony the Great, the Father of Monasticism, marks the golden age of the Oriental Orthodox Church.  At the hands of Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril the heretical movements of Arianism and Nestorism were defeated.

Saint Athanasius is behind most of the text of the Nicaene Creed.  When still a young deacon, he came to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD with his old patriarch, Bishop Alexander.  In 328 AD, Bishop Alexander reposed in the Lord and Saint Athanasius succeeded him into a stormy reign.  He was banished five times from his See, and spent more than 17 years in exile.  His pastoral care is shown by his Episcopal Visitations, his Paschal Letters and numerous books and treaties.  He reposed in the Lord in 373 AD.  He was the 206th Coptic Pope Successor of Saint Mark.

Saint Cyril the Great

The following century saw yet another peer of Saint Athanasius, Saint Cyril the Great (412 - 444 AD), the 24th Pope of Alexandria, called the Pillar of the Faith.  The greatest conflict of Saint Cyril's life was with Nestorius, the formidable Patriarch of Constantinople.  Nestorius rejected the use of the term Theotokos - the Mother of God, for Saint Mary, whom he wanted to be called the Mother of Christ.  This was a lead to the heresy that Jesus was a human being, in whom the Holy Spirit came to dwell at His baptism, and that in Him there is fellowship but not unity, between His divinity and His humanity.