of Ḥoiak (December). Often they sing those for the whole week on Saturday evening, and stay all night in church.[1]
Coptic boys are circumcised on the eighth day after birth, but no religious idea is attached to this. Circumcision after baptism is now strictly forbidden.[2] Boys are baptized forty days, girls eighty days after birth. It is a long ceremony. They are immersed thrice, and confirmed immediately with chrism by the priest. A liturgy should follow, during which the child receives Holy Communion. If it is too young to receive both kinds, the priest dips his finger in the consecrated wine and moistens its lips.[3] Confession is taught plainly in theory. In practice it has become rare; though a pious Copt always goes to confession before marriage and (if he can) when dying.[4] Marriage should take place immediately before a liturgy, at which husband and wife communicate. Both are anointed and crowned.[5] There are special ordination forms for the Patriarch, bishops, ḳummuṣ (p. 257), priests, archdeacons, deacons, sub-deacons, readers, and a blessing for making a monk. Copts appear to consider these all on the same level, having no clear idea of a special (sacramental) character in the case of bishop, priest, and deacon. We have mentioned the election of the Patriarch (p. 254). His ordination involves long ceremonies. It should take place at the Church of St. Mark at Alexandria, during the holy liturgy. The senior bishop presides, and lays his right hand on the head of the elect in silence; then he and all other bishops lay on both hands and say the ordination prayer. The Patriarch is proclaimed, and everyone cries (
Greek characters). The Gospel-book is laid on his head, he is vested in his robes, all other bishops take off their crowns. He continues the liturgy himself.[6] All other bishops are ordained by the
- ↑ See A. Mallon, S.J.: "Les Théotokies" in the Rev. de l'Orient chrét. 1904, pp. 17-31. De Lacy O'Leary: The Daily Office and Theotokia of the Coptic Church (Simpkin, Marshall, 1911), translates all, and gives an excellent idea of the arrangement of the Coptic Divine office.
- ↑ The idea being that this would be a return to the Old Law after Christianity. There have been heated controversies on this point (see p. 242).
- ↑ A. Evetts: The Rites of the Coptic Church (D. Nutt, 1888); translation of the baptism and marriage services. Butler: Ancient Coptic Churches, ii. 262-274.
- ↑ Ib. ii. 298-300.
- ↑ Ib. ii. 323-326; Evetts: op. cit.
- ↑ Renaudot: Ritus ordinationis Alex. iacobitarum patr. (Lit. Orient. Coll. i. 441-468); Vansleb: op. cit. pp. 162-169; Butler: op. cit. ii. 302-312.
