In Coptic Orthodox services, is there a response to the phrase "Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ" (Hail to the Cross)?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08
In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, particularly during the Feast of the Cross and the Procession of the Cross, the phrase Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ (Hail to the Cross) is often followed by a specific theological completion or a congregational response that highlights the purpose of the Cross.
1. The Liturgical Completion
When the priest or cantor chants "Hail to the Cross," the completion of the sentence serves as the response of the faith:
Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ: ⲉ̀ⲧⲁ ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ ⲡⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ ⲁϣϥ ϩⲓⲱⲧϥ: ϣⲁⲧⲉϥⲥⲱϯ ⲙ̀ⲙⲟⲛ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲉⲛⲛⲟⲃⲓ.
"Hail to the Cross, whereon our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, to save us from our sins."
2. The Procession Response
During the liturgical feast, as the deacons and priests process through the church with the Cross and the Icon of the Crucifixion, the "response" is often the chanting of the Greek loanwords of the Refrain:
Ⲱ̀ ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲫⲏⲉ̀ⲧⲁ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ ⲁϣϥ ϩⲓⲱⲧϥ. (O the Cross, upon which our Savior was crucified.)
3. The Symbolism of the Greeting
There is no "fixed" interpersonal response like "And also with you" for this specific phrase. Instead, it is a proclamation. When the leader says Ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ, the response is the collective bowing of the heads or the prostration (ⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ) before the Cross, acknowledging that the Cross is the weapon of our salvation.
Linguistic Note:
- ⲉ̀ⲧⲁ ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ (eta pencois): This uses the native Coptic relative pronoun and the native Coptic word for Lord (ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ).
- ⲡⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ (Pikhristos): This is a Greek loanword for "The Christ."
If you are participating in a Coptic service and hear the cantors beginning the hymn of the Cross with this phrase, the congregation’s "response" is to join in the full melody, glorifying the wood of the Cross that has become the tree of life.