Pope Peter VII of Alexandria | Pope Peter VII Alexandria

Pope Peter VII of Alexandria (Petros or Boutros El-Gawly) was the 109th Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark (24 December 1809 - 5 April 1852). He was born in the village of El-Gawly in Upper Egypt, and known as Mankarius while a monk at St. Anthony Monastery on the Red Sea.

During his papacy, sensing intimations of pressure from Roman Catholicism, the Coptic Church intensified her teaching, her preaching, and her pastoral work, and the Coptic Pope himself intensified his writing on matters of faith and doctrine. During the period, many private and public patriarchal libraries were founded.

When the Russian Czar sent his delegates with an offer to put the Coptic Church under his protection, Pope Peter declined the proposal by asking, "Does your Emperor live forever?" When the envoy answered that he would die, like all humans, the Pope told him that he preferred the Protector of the Church who wouldn't die.

The seat of the Pope during his papacy remained in the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya in Cairo.

The papal throne stood vacant for a little over one year before his successor, Cyril IV, was elected.

Also during the papacy, Saint Sidhom Bishay was martyred at the hands of Muslims in Damietta. His martyrdom made possible the raising of the Cross openly during Christian funeral processions, for this practice was previously forbidden.

Preceded by
Mark VIII

Coptic Pope
1810–1852

Succeeded by
Cyril IV

Popes of the Coptic Orthodox Church

1st–4th centuries	Mark I Anianus Avilius Kedron Primus Justus Eumenes Markianos Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I

5th–8th centuries	Cyril I Dioscorus I Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agatho John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodoros I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II Jacob Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III

9th–12th centuries	Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodolos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I

13th–16th centuries	Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII

17th century–present	Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Theodoros II

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