Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
www.suscopts.org
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What is the difference between our Coptic Church and the Greek Orthodox churches?

The Coptic Church is part of the Oriental Orthodox family of Churches, while the Greek Orthodox is part of the Eastern Orthodox family. Originally these two families were one and had the same faith until the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. when our Coptic Church was falsely accused of following the teachings of Eutyches, who believed in monophysitism. This doctrine maintains that the Lord Jesus Christ has only one single nature, the divine, excluding the human nature.

Our Coptic Church has never believed in monophysitism. Copts believe that the Lord is perfect in His divinity, and He is perfect in His humanity; but His divinity and His humanity were united in one nature called "the nature of the incarnate word", which was reiterated by Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Copts, thus, believe that the two natures "human" and "divine" are united in one "without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration" (from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic divine liturgy). These two natures "did not separate for a moment or the twinkling of an eye" (also from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic divine liturgy).

Today many efforts are directed towards dissolving this difference and misunderstanding and achieving complete unity between the two families of Churches.
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