Arabic: كنيسة قبطية أرثوذكسية The Coptic Christian Church, officially called the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, is the largest Christian church in Egypt. It belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct body since 451 AD. The church has a world-wide following, but its foundational roots are based in Egypt. According to tradition, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria was established by Saint Mark the apostle and evangelist in the middle of the 1st century after Christ. The head of the church is the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark (informally known as the Coptic Christian Pope), currently Pope Shenouda III. There are an estimated 12-20 million followers of the Church, and around 95 percent of Egypt's Christians belong to the Coptic Christian church. Christians comprise 10-12 percent of Egypt's population.
