Who is Pope Tawadros the 3rd?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
There is no Pope Tawadros III.
The current Pope and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church is His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, who is the 118th successor of St. Mark the Apostle.
About H.H. Pope Tawadros II
His Holiness was chosen by the Altar Ballot on November 4, 2012, to succeed the late H.H. Pope Shenouda III.
- Early Life: He was born Wagih Sobhi Baqi Suleiman on November 4, 1952, in Mansoura, Egypt. The name "Tawadros" means "Gift of God" in the Coptic/Greek language.
- Education: Before entering the monastery, he was a pharmacist, having earned a degree in pharmacy from Alexandria University in 1975. He later earned a bachelor's degree in theology from the Coptic Clerical College in 1983.
- Monastic Life: He joined the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Wadi El-Natrun and was ordained a monk in 1988.
- Episcopacy: Before becoming Pope, he served as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pachomius in the Diocese of Beheira.
- Motto: His motto is "Love Never Fails" (1 Cor. 13:8).
Distinguishing from Other Denominations
Unlike Protestant denominations that lack a centralized apostolic succession, or the Roman Catholic Church, which follows a different line of popes, the Coptic Orthodox Pope is the "Father of Fathers" for the true Orthodox Christians of Egypt and the global Diaspora. He is a member and the head of the Holy Synod.
Previous Popes Named Tawadros
There has only been one other Pope named Tawadros in our history:
- Pope Tawadros I (the 45th Pope of Alexandria), who lived in the 8th century.
Because the current Pope is only the second to bear this name, he is Pope Tawadros II. Any reference to a "Tawadros III" is a factual error, as there has not yet been a third Pope by that name.