Subject: Re: "With All That You Acquire, Acquire Understanding"
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 02:10:08 GMT
From: (St.Athanasius)
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One God,
Amen. Peace and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Hi Pete,

On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 18:12:58 +1100, A ‘Net friend wrote:

>"St.Athanasius" wrote:
>
>> >
>> >Fair enough I suppose. If you don’t mind me asking – what orthodoxy?
>>
>> I am Oriental Orthodox by conversion under the Patriarch of Alexandria
>> (Egypt). My Church was founded by St Mark the Apostle in 42 AD, the
>> current Patriarch is Pope Shenouda III who is the 117th direct
>> successor to St Mark.
>
>Hi. Just wondering- Is this established historical fact?

St Mark wrote his Gospel in Egypt, not in Rome as some think.

St Mark was martyred in Alexandria by being dragged behind a horse
with a rope around his neck until his holy head came off. The Church
of Alexandria still has the body of St Mark and his holy head was
returned to Egypt from the Roman Catholic Church during the
pontificates of Pope Paul VI and Pope Kyrillos VI about 1970.(They
stole his head during the crusades and it was in the Cathedral of
Milan for 700 years [as St Mark is the patron saint of Milan as well])

Every ancient Christian document that relates to the founding of the
historical Churches places St Mark the Apostle as the founding Apostle
of the Church of Alexandria. The ancient Church historians confirm
this as well, (Eusebius etc).

The Universal Tradition of the Christian Church is that St Mark
founded the Churches of Alexandria, Northern Africa (Carthage etc) and
the Pentapolis (ancient Libya). This whole area was Christian for the
first half of the first millenium.

As to Pope Shenouda III being the 117th successor of the Throne of St
Mark the Apostle, I have the list of every Patriarch of the Coptic
Orthodox Church going right back to St Mark. You can read many of
their letters and teachings in the Nicene andc Post Nicene Fathers
series. Some are Sts Athanasius, Peter, Clement, Didymus the Blind
(Though Didymus was no the Patriarch).

The Coptic Orthodox Church is often referred in the west as a
Monophysite Church. This means the proclamation of the One Nature of
Jesus Christ OF two (Divine and human). Most western and eastern
Orthodox Churches refers to the Two natures of Christ in ONE person.

The Coptic Orthodox Church has been called a "Living history of the
Christian Church’ by Church historians because it was locked away
under Muslim control for 13 centuries and cut off from the rest of the
world. Therefore they never had a reformation, dark ages, inquisition
etc etc.

The Coptic Orthodox Church has NEVER raised an army to enforce
Christianity on anyone and due to them adhering to Islamic dress
regulations (by force) they were slaughtered during the crusades by
the Roman Catholics for looking Islamic.

The Coptic Orthodox Liturgy is EXACTLY the same as it was prayed in
the first centuries of the first millenium. Two-three hour services
with five Bible readings, two sermons (English and Arabic) Holy
Communion etc etc. Orthodox chant everything during the service and 90
per cent of each service is direct quotes from the Bible.

Monastiscm was founded by the Coptic Orthodox Church with the first
monk, St Antony of Egypt. Egypt is the only land visited by our Lord
Jesus Christ during His earthly Incarnation apart from the Holy Land
and God Himself says in His Scriptures, "Blessed be Egypt, my
people." Isaiah 19: 25.

Egypt is UNIQUE in the record of Scriptures as the first Christian
Altar was prophesied by Isaiah when he said…"In that day there will
be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a
pillar at the border thereof to the Lord."(Isdaiah 19:19) I have
stood at this ancient stone altar and prayed. It was one of the
highlights (if not the highlight) of a recent trip to Egypt. The Jews
of the Ole Testament were not allowed to sacrifice outside of
Jerusalem. This is why everfy male had to attend Jerusalem three times
a year to sacrifice and worship. This altar is a confirmation that
Christian Churches should each have an altar and priesthood where the
sacrifice of Christ is presented to the Christians to partake of.
(many on this NG will take offence at that last comment).

Hope this answers your question some what. As you can see I have a
deep love for the Coptic Church. At present I am orgainsing another
spiritual trip to Egypt next year (probably during the Olympics) for
men only to visit and see the ancient Christian Churches and
monasteries that date back to the late second and third centuries.

Peace and grace.