Is St. Anianus the first or second Bishop of Egypt?

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

St. Anianus is the second Bishop (and Pope) of Alexandria and all Egypt.

The apostolic succession of the See of Alexandria begins with St. Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, who brought the Christian faith to Egypt and founded the See, serving as its first Bishop and Patriarch.

The Succession and Consecration of St. Anianus

1. First Encounter: When St. Mark entered Alexandria, his sandal tore, and he took it to Anianus, who was a cobbler. While repairing the shoe, Anianus pierced his hand with an awl and cried out, "Heis ho Theos" ("God is one"). Hearing this, St. Mark healed his wound miraculously in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and preached the Gospel to him. Anianus and his entire household believed and were baptized.

1. Consecration as Bishop: As the Christian community in Alexandria grew rapidly, pagan hostility intensified against St. Mark. Before St. Mark departed Alexandria to visit the Pentapolis (around 62 A.D.), he consecrated Anianus as bishop (— a Greek loanword used in Coptic ecclesiastical tradition) to shepherd the congregation. St. Mark also ordained three priests (Milius, Sabinus, and Cerdo) and seven deacons to assist him. While Anianus was the first native Alexandrian to be consecrated to the episcopate, he served under St. Mark's apostolic headship.

1. Succession as Patriarch: Following the martyrdom of St. Mark in 68 A.D., St. Anianus succeeded him directly as the chief hierarch of the Egyptian Church, faithfully shepherding the flock until his departure.

In the official succession of the Patriarchs of the See of St. Mark, St. Mark is the 1st, and St. Anianus is the 2nd.