Pope of The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria - Patriarch

Patriarch

Between the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), the Archbishops of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires (i.e. the Archbishops of Alexandria, Antioch, Rome, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, also known as the Archbishops of the Ancient Apostolic Thrones), were given the title of Patriarch. These titles were ratified at the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), and henceforth were known historically as the Ancient Patriarchates of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church or otherwise as the Pentarchy.

The Bishop of Alexandria was first known as the Bishop of Alexandria. Later, due to the importance and dignity of Alexandria as a Major Christian Center and as an Ancient Apostolic Throne, and in addition to the fact that the Bishop of Alexandria is the successor of the first Bishop on the Throne of Alexandria, he was given the title of Archbishop by the late 3rd century. He was already called by the Alexandrine clergy and by all the Egyptian Bishops Papas, since the mid of the 3rd century.

By the middle of the 5th century, the title of Patriarch was bestowed upon all major Apostolic thrones of the Holy Catholic, Apostolic and Orthodox Church (ratified by the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD). By this title, it meant that these Patriarchates have geographical jurisdiction based upon either the extent (domain) of the natural borders of their Provinces, or as set by Church Ecumenical Councils and/or Church Tradition.

Later, between the 5th and 7th century, the appellation of “Papas” or “Pope” became somehow a title along with the Archiepiscopal and Patriarchal titles of the Bishop of Alexandria. This, however, did not mean that the title of “Pope” denoted a higher hierarchical or ecclesiastical dignity or rank than that of the title and rank of “Patriarch” given to the Bishop of Alexandria.