[forgotten man]

Are Coptic Christians Catholic or Orthodox?

[Mrs. Don-o]

It's a little convoluted because "Coptic" is an ethnic as well as a religious designation. As an ethnic term it means "native indigenous Egyptian" (i.e, not Arab, not European)--- although they now speak Arabic.

(There are even Evangelicals in Egypt who call themselves "Coptic Evangelical" to distinguish themselves from Evangelicals sourced from non-Egyptian missionary efforts. They are extremely small in number.)

Mainly, there are Orthodox Copts and Catholic Copts. The Orthodox are by far the larger group, estimated at 5%-10% of Egypt's population, or maybe 8 million people. They are what's called "non-Chalcedonian Orthodox," which means they are not in communion with the Byzantines and Greeks and so forth: they do not accept all of the first seven Ecumenical Councils.

The Catholic Copts are much smaller, maybe 160,000, and they are in communion with the Pope and fully members of the Catholic Church.