Pope Agatho of Alexandria

Saint Agathon of Alexandria, was the 39th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.^[4] St. Agathon was a disciple^[1] of Pope Benjamin I, the 38th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church so when Pope Benjamin had to flee to avoid persecution by the Chalcedonians, Agathon remained and led the church.^[3]

Agathon served like this until Pope Benjamin returned and died, at which time Agathon was officially named the pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This happened during the time of the Muslim conquest of Egypt and when Muawiyah I was ruling.^[2] Unlike most popes who first serve as monks,^[5] Agathon had never been a monk prior to becoming pope- yet he was successful.^[4] During his time as pope, the building of St. Macarius Church in the monastery at Wadi El Natrun was completed.^[1]

More importantly, he wrote a letter about the nature of Christ, a technicality which is recited by Christians when they recite the Nicene Creed. His letter was given consideration, read and discussed at the Third Council of Constantinople.^[6] (The Third Council of Constantinople is counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Orthodox and other churches). This was a very important event, presided by the pope, where semantics^[7] about the nature of Christ and how to reflect that nature in the creed spoken by Christians around the world; was discussed and agreed upon.^[8]

Like many others before and after, according to the Coptic Orthodox Church, he was harassed. Sometime during his papacy, he was persecuted by a Melkite Byzantine Patriarch named Theodocius, who through his authority, levied large taxes on Agathon, made the people hate him and asked that he be killed. For this reason, Agathon stayed hidden in his cell until the threat of Theodocius went away.^[1][3] Based on church beliefs, he chose his successor based on a dream where an angel told him who should follow him.^[3]

References

External references

• Synaxarion, Copto-Arabic - Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia

Popes of Alexandria and Patriarchs of the See of St. Mark
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II (AKA Theophanes) Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodolos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gainas Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons

Coptic saints
Theotokos	Our Lady of Zeitoun Our Lady of Assiut Our Lady of Warraq
Seven Archangels	Gabriel Haniel Michael Raguel Raphael Sariel Zadkiel
Patriarchs	Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph
Prophets	Moses Job Samuel David Hosea Amos Micah Joel Obadiah Jonah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Isaiah Jeremiah Baruch Ezekiel Daniel John the Baptist
Apostles	Peter Andrew Bartholomew James, son of Alphaeus James, son of Zebedee John Jude Matthew Matthias Philip Simon Thomas
Evangelists	Matthew Mark Luke John
Disciples	Mary Magdalene Stephen Timothy Titus Philemon Barnabas Apollos Silvanus Priscilla and Aquila Seventy disciples
Martyrs	Abulak Abāmūn of Tarnūt Abanoub Abaskhiron the Soldier Apollonia Catherine Chiaffredo Chrysanthus and Daria Cyrus and John Damian Dasya Demiana Dorothea Felix and Regula Hor, Besoy, and Daydara Maurice Menas Mohrael Protus and Hyacinth Sidhom Bishay Kosheh Martyrs Nag Hammadi massacre 2011 Alexandria bombing 2011 Imbaba Martyrs Maspero Martyrs 2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya
Popes	Abraham Agatho Alexander Anastasius Andronicus Anianus Athanasius Avilius Cyril Cyril VI Demetrius Dioscorus I Matthew I Peter
Bishops	Abadiu of Antinoe Abraam, Bishop of Faiyum Augustine of Hippo Basil of Caesarea Ignatius of Antioch Paphnutius of Thebes St. Psote, Bishop of Ebsay St. Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis
Monks and hermits	Ababius Abdel Messih El-Makari Abib and Apollo Abraham of Farshut Abraham of Scetes Amun Anthony the Great Awgin Bashnouna Forty Nine Elder Martyrs of Scetes Hilarion Isaac of Nineveh Isidore of Pelusium John Climacus John the Dwarf Karas Macarius of Alexandria Macarius of Egypt Mary of Egypt Misael the Anchorite Moses the Black Mother Irini Nilus of Sinai Onuphrius Pachomius the Great Pambo Paphnutius the Ascetic Parsoma Paul of Tammah Paul of Thebes Paul the Simple Pijimi Pishoy Poemen Samuel the Confessor Shenoute Tekle Haymanot Zosimas of Palestine
Other saints	Ambrose Didymus the Blind Euphrosyne Simon the Tanner Verena
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