The Pope

edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
I was wondering about the following:

1. What is the difference between the words pope and patriarch, if there is one at all..

2. What are the responsabilities and duties of a pope?

3. How to answer those who say we are all members of the Body of Christ, with only Him being the head, and so it's not right to call a human being the head of the church...


Thanks in advance
Gb

Comments

  • [quote author=Godislove260 link=topic=7966.msg102851#msg102851 date=1241906452]
    I was wondering about the following:

    1. What is the difference between the words pope and patriarch, if there is one at all..

    According to MW dictionary:
    1 often capitalized : a prelate who as bishop of Rome is the head of the Roman Catholic Church
    2: one that resembles a pope (as in authority)
    3 a: the Eastern Orthodox or Coptic patriarch of Alexandria b: a priest of an Eastern chur

    So we are talking about the capitalized "Pope."
    Let me explain more. The term was first used FOR the Pope of the Church (more like SEE) of Alexandria being (was), the "Head of the churches." And again, the right term to use instead of "Churches" is "Sees." meaning Sees of different church (watch the capitalization) that were established by the different apostles. The Pope of Alexandria was the "Head of the Brothers," brothers being the other patriarchs of the other sees/churches.
    The Pope is the Patriarch of the specific church; which brings me to the next term:

    Patriarch literally - Patri-arch = the head father....more like the head of the fathers because making someone a head means that there are more fathers not only one. in our case in our Church, the Pope is the head of the father, the fathers are the bishops who are ALOS the heads of the fathers, the priests.


    2. What are the responsabilities and duties of a pope?

    I think there is much to get into here. but he is the leader of those who lead, who also lead those who lead, also the head of those who lead...etc. it's a hiarchy ladder that comes down to the youngest kid into church.


    3. How to answer those who say we are all members of the Body of Christ, with only Him being the head, and so it's not right to call a human being the head of the church...

    Christ Himself set Apostles to LEAD the people into heaven. Not all have the same authority but all are different. There are reasons why there are differnt ranks of people in our Church. It's an hierarchy system that always been there through Judaism and kept going. Church is the HIGH PRIEST. But that doesn't mean He's the only priest; instead it just makes Him the ultimate Priest. The Head of the priests who are the heads of other priests who are also the heads...etc. people think that it's a supremacy as it's understood in the Roman Catholic Church; but it's NOT. You'd think that our pope have much "power" and "authority"....but he really doesn't have enough power to like excommunicate anyone (for example).
  • I visited the following site few days ago and would definately answer all question you have regarding Popes, Patriarchs and Bishops:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Pope
  • [quote author=Ηεζεκιελ link=topic=7966.msg102952#msg102952 date=1242077037]
    I visited the following site few days ago and would definately answer all question you have regarding Popes, Patriarchs and Bishops:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Pope


    the list of Coptic Popes there might be incorrect though....
  • [quote author=minagir link=topic=7966.msg102954#msg102954 date=1242078543]
    the list of Coptic Popes there might be incorrect though....


    I double-checked with another list and I see no inconsistencies,only that the link I provided earlier does not mention the vacant years.
  • [quote author=Ηεζεκιελ link=topic=7966.msg102956#msg102956 date=1242079811]
    [quote author=minagir link=topic=7966.msg102954#msg102954 date=1242078543]
    the list of Coptic Popes there might be incorrect though....


    I double-checked with another list and I see no inconsistencies,only that the link I provided earlier does not mention the vacant years.


    ok. i just remembered that i checked it couple of years ago and it had some mistakes because there is a pope that the Western churches count for us, but we ourselves don't count them.
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