Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Christian Salem via phone call on August 7th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

The Coptic Catholic Church traces its origins to St. Mark the Evangelist. How does this apostolic heritage shape the spiritual life and identity of Coptic Catholics today?

When St. Mark brought the Gospel to Egypt, he gave us the foundation for a Church rooted in apostolic faith. After his martyrdom, the community he formed blossomed into a vibrant ascetical tradition, giving rise to saints like Anthony the Great, Cyril of Alexandria, and Athanasius, whose lives of prayer, fasting, and theological brilliance shaped Coptic spirituality for centuries. 

You can see how this heritage lives on today in the Coptic Catholic Church’s liturgy, monastic ideals, and steadfast witness, preserving the same faith St. Mark entrusted to Alexandria.

The Coptic Catholic Church uses ancient liturgies like those of St. Mark, St. Cyril, St. Gregory, and St. Basil. What are some distinctive elements of the Coptic Catholic Mass that a Roman Catholic might find striking?