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Persecution and survival of the Coptic faith in Egypt

Egypt

Over almost two millennia, the Christians of Egypt have suffered persecution of various intensity, from the Roman purges to the terrorist attacks of the twenty-first century. Marian devotion has been one of the pillars of resistance and survival of the Coptic faith.

The era of martyrs: Diocletian (303-311)

The Emperor's Great Persecution Dioclecian the Coptic Church so deeply that its calendar begins with it (284 AD, the "Year of the Martyrs" or Year Martyrum). Thousands of Egyptian Christians were executed, imprisoned or sent to mines. The Sinaksario Coptic retains hundreds of stories of martyrs from this period, many of them women and children.

The Byzantine Period and the Monopolitan Controversy

After the Council of Calconia (451), the Coptic Church separated from imperial Christianity by rejecting the definition of the two natures of Christ. This made the Copts "heretics" before the imperial power, and they suffered persecution by the Byzantine emperors. The Coptic resistance to Constantinople forged an inseparable national and religious identity.

The Arab conquest (641) and the dhimmi

The Muslim conquest of Egypt (641) brought a system of conditioned tolerance (dhimma): Christians could practice their faith by paying a special tax (jizya) and accepting social restrictions. Throughout the Fatimi centuries (969-1171) and Mameluco (1250-1517), conditions varied:

• Califa al-Hakim (996-1021)He ordered the destruction of churches and forced conversion; he later partially revoked his edicts.
• Mamluk period: severe restrictions, destruction of numerous churches, obligation to wear distinctive clothes.
• Marian devotion remained in the underground of the homes and in the desert monasteries.

The 20th century: awakening and violence

The 20th century brought a revitalization of the Coptic Church under the Patriarch Cirilo VI (1959-1971) y Shenouda III (1971-2012), but also episodes of violence:

• Attacks on Upper Egypt: sectarian clashes in Asiut, Minya and other provinces during the 1970s-1990.
• Atentado de Alexandria (2011): a car bomb against the Coptic Church of the Saints killed 23 people on New Year's Eve.
• Attacks from 2016-2017: suicide attacks on the Coptic Cathedral of Cairo (December 2016, 29 dead), the church of San Jorge in Tanta and the church of San Marcos in Alexandria (April 2017, 47 dead in total).

The 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya (2015)

On February 15, 2015, the Islamic State published a video showing the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya. The men, migrant workers of Upper Egypt, were abducted by their faith. Before they died, several of them pronounced the name of Jesus. The Patriarch Tawadros II He proclaimed them martyrs and his memory is celebrated on February 15 in the Coptic Calendar.

Mary, comfort in the persecution

In the midst of violence, Marian devotion has been the spiritual refuge of the persecuted Copts:

• Las apparitions of Zeitoun (1968) y Assiut (2000) were interpreted as messages of divine comfort after times of crisis.
• Los Marian Himnos (Theotokia) are sung in the funerals of the martyrs.
• Las pilgrimages Marian shrines are increasing after each attack.
• The families of the martyrs of Libya reported that the abductees died by invoking Jesus and Mary.

Coptic Resilience

The Coptic Church has survived almost two millennia of persecution while maintaining its identity. Resilience factors:

• Monasticism: the monasteries of the Western Desert and Upper Egypt are centers of spiritual resistance since the 4th century.
• National identity: Copts are considered the direct heirs of ancient Egypt.
• Marian Devotion: Mary is the figure that unites all Copts, Orthodox and Catholic.
• Martyrdom: the memory of martyrs strengthens community identity.

Prayer for the persecuted Christians of Egypt

Lord Jesus, who knew the exile in the land of Egypt and who sent to your Church the comfort of your Most Holy Mother, protects the Christians of Egypt who are suffering persecution. May the martyrs of Libya, Alexandria, Tanta and all the places where innocent blood is shed intercede before your throne. May Mary, Mother of the sorrows and Queen of the martyrs, be comfort and strength for the Coptic Church. Amen.