Europe

Perhaps not as discussed as the populations in some of the other Western nations, Europe has a large and thriving Coptic population. There is over 90 000 Copts across Europe, with the largest populations in France, Italy, and Germany, with significant populations in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Cyprus, and more. All these translate to dozens of churches under the care of 15 different bishops with services in over 10 different languages. For more information regarding the history of Coptic migration through Europe, visit this article by Egypt Migrations, a website with amazing articles about this topic and more, with several spotlights on certain nations.

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Coptic Capitals

Paris

Milan

Vienna

Stockholm

Rome

Church

Monastery/Covent

Retreat/Cultural Center

Educational

Diocese of Paris and of all Northern France

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Marc, this diocese is headquartered in Paris where the majority of Copts live in France, along with other churches in the Northern part of France. There is one monastery, Monastère de la Vierge Sainte Marie et de l'Archange Michel in Roncheres.

Fun fact: The first Copts emigrated to France as early as 1801 after the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon!

For more info: https://copte.fr/

Copts in
FRANCE

France is unique, as it has its own self-governing French Coptic Orthodox Church, previously headed by the beloved departed H.G Metropolitan Bishop Athanasios. This church is considered its own self-governing body, but still falls under the care and guidance of the See of Alexandria, the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Diocese of Geneva, Switzerland, and of all Southern France

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Luka, this diocese spans the French-speaking part of Switzerland (including Geneva) and the entirety of the South of France, including cities such as Orleans, Nice, Lyon, and Marseille. This is home to thousands of Copts in both countries.

Fun fact: For a time, the priest serving the Copts in Geneva was none other than Bishop Serapion of LA!

For more info: http://www.coptic-churches.ch/

Diocese of Milano and all Northern Italy

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Antonio , this diocese covers many churches across the north region of Italy - a population of almost 10 000 Copts! Headquartered in San Marco in Milan, this diocese also contains the Monastery of St Shenouda in Milan and the Monastery of Anba Abraam in Faenza. This is the larger of the two dioceses.

Fun fact: Venetian merchants stole the relics of St Mark from Egypt in the 9th century. In 1968, the relics were relocated back under the care of Pope Kyrillos VI from Venice!

For more info: https://www.diocesicoptamilano.com/

Copts in
ITALY

Diocese of Turino, Roma, and all Southern Italy

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Barnaba, this diocese covers most of Italy, including cities like Rome, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Bologna, and all of Sicily. Its headquarters is in Rome, and has a smaller (but still sizable!) diocese than in Milan.

Fun fact: The Roman Catholic church has a close relationship with the Coptic Church in Italy, gifting many of her churches to us to use for our liturgies and congregations!

For more info: http://www.coptiortodossiroma.it/

Diocese of Höxter-Brenkenhausen and all Northern Germany

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Damian, this diocese spans the Northern part of Germany, including cities like Berlin, Dresden, Duisburg, Hannover, Hamburg, and more. His seat is in Virgin Mary and St Mauritius Monastery in Hoxter, and the Coptic population of Germany as a whole is estimated at around 10 000.

Fun fact, the German word for monastery is Kloster!

For more info: https://kopten.de/

Copts in
GERMANY

Diocese of Southern Germany

Previously shepherded by the beloved departed H.G Bishop Michail, and now under the direct supervision of Pope Tawadros II, this diocese is responsible for the German Copts south of Dortmund, which includes Dusseldorf, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and one church in Luxembourg! This diocese has one monastery, St Antonious in Kroeffelbach.

Fun fact:the first Coptic Church in Germany was in Frankfurt in 1975!

For more info: https://kopten.de/

Diocese of Stockholm and of all Scandinavia

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Apakir, this diocese spans Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. It is headquartered in Stockholm and covers 14 different churches.

Fun fact: The first meeting of the Scandinavian congregation took place in 1980, in one of the Egyptian immigrant's restaurant!

For more info: https://scandcopts.com/

Diocese of Vienna and all Austria

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Gabriel, this diocese covers 10 churches and one monastery - St Antony's in Obersiebenbrunn. The first Copts arrived in 1976, but have grown to a population of around 6000!

For more info: https://www.kopten.at/

Diocese of Amsterdam and of all the Netherlands

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Arsany, this diocese covers all the churches in both the Netherlands and Belgium (two churches in Antwerpen). This diocese also contains a monastery Virgin Mary and St Theodore of Amasea in Livielde, near the German border. First being established in 1985, there is a population of around 10 000 Copts in the Netherlands today.

For more info: https://www.koptischekerk.nl/

Don''t currently have a logo; Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church‎ in Budapest

Diocese of Central Europe

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Giovanni, this diocese covers about 100 families spread over 5 countries - Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Its headquarters is in Hungary, where the bishop resides.

Fun fact: This diocese is the newest in Europe, created by Pope Tawadros in 2017!

For more info:

https://www.unionbetweenchristians.com/2020/10/coptic-orthodox-diocese-in-hungary-2020.html

No diocese website yet; blog post with different church websites

Diocese of Athens, all Greece, and Cyprus

Shepherded by H.G Bishop Pavlos, this diocese covers the whole of both Greece and Cyprus. Being so close to Egypt, there are sizeable Coptic populations in both Athens and Cyprus.

Fun fact: the basis for the Coptic alphabet is Greek, and many ancient hymns in the church are actually Greek (such as Ekhrestos Anesti!)

For more info: http://copts-greece.com/

Spain

There is a community of a approximately 1000 Copts in Spain, which has been steadily growing over the years. The largest concentration of them is in Cevera and Barcelona along the Mediterranean Coast. They are under the jurisdiction of Anba Youssef, Bishop of Bolivia.

COPTS ABROAD