Is there a gap in the apostolic succession of the Coptic Orthodox Church?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

There is absolutely no gap in the apostolic succession of the Coptic Orthodox Church. According to our Coptic Orthodox faith, the chain of authority and grace has remained unbroken from the moment our Lord Jesus Christ breathed on His disciples until this very day.

The Foundation of the See of Alexandria

The Coptic Church was founded by St. Mark the Apostle, one of the Seventy Apostles and the writer of the Gospel. He established the See of Alexandria in the mid-1st century. Before his martyrdom in 68 AD, he ordained Anianus as the second bishop of Alexandria, along with three priests and seven deacons. This established the formal beginning of our succession.

Historical Continuity

Since St. Mark, the See has been occupied by an uninterrupted line of Popes. The current Pope, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, is the 118th successor of St. Mark.

1. Selection and Consecration: Throughout our 2,000-year history, the selection of the Patriarch has followed strict ecclesiastical rules. Even during periods of intense persecution under various empires, the Church never failed to ordain a successor.
2. Episcopal Witness: For a Patriarchal ordination to be valid, multiple bishops must be present to lay hands on the candidate. This communal act ensures that the "grace of the priesthood" is transmitted correctly from the existing body of the Church to the new head.
3. The Didymus Institute and Tradition: Our liturgical and oral traditions, preserved by the faithful and the cantors—such as Moalem Ibrahim Ayad or Moalem Gad Lewis in the modern day—serve as a living testimony to this continuity. The prayers we pray today are the same prayers handed down by the Apostles.

Addressing False Claims and Heretics

• Against Roman Catholics and Chalcedonians: Following the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, there was a political attempt by the Byzantine Empire to install "Melkite" (royalist) patriarchs in Alexandria. However, the Egyptian people and the true Coptic Orthodox Church always maintained their own legitimate, elected Patriarchs in hiding or in monasteries. We never accepted the heretical definitions of Chalcedon, and our line of succession remained pure and separate from those who compromised the Miaphysite faith.
• Against Protestants: Protestants often claim that the "Church" was lost or became corrupted until the Reformation. This is a historical falsehood. The promise of Christ that "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18) guarantees the continuity of His Church. To suggest a "gap" is to suggest that Christ failed in His promise.

The "Altar of the Lord in the Midst of Egypt"

The prophecy in Isaiah 19:19 ("In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt") stands as a divine seal on the permanence of our Church. Despite centuries of martyrdom and pressure, the Coptic Church has never lacked a shepherd.

The apostolic succession is not merely a list of names; it is the guarantee that the Sacraments we receive today—the true Body and Blood of Christ—carry the same authority and power as those administered by the Apostles in the Upper Room.