The stoic acceptance of suffering is a virtue highlighted by all Christians, but it is the extreme case of martyrdom where the Coptic Church is arguably distinct from the rest.

This is no ‘journalism’—these are the tactics of the CIA and the KGB described in Cold War history books, played out in the 21st century in domestic contexts.

In the second part of our series, we will examine another pillar of the Coptic Church that arguably played an even greater role in the history of Christianity as a whole.

There was a time not too far off in the recent past when very few people in the Western world would have recognized words like ‘Copt’ or ‘Coptic Christian.’ By now the popular awareness of Copts in the Western consciousness has become more consolidated, and their identity more widely recognized.

Doubts expressed about the validity of that science can no longer be entertained, and questions directed toward its emissaries can no longer be answered. 

If we are to genuinely understand Iran, we must begin by dispensing with the myths that the Western media has for too long been accustomed to telling.

Archpriest Youssef Khalil, leading representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Hungary, considers his new home to be a beacon of religious tolerance and freedom. A short walk through history helps to reminds us that we shouldn’t be surprised to hear that.