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My daughter has a good friend that is Catholic and wants to know the differences. Her friend "wikipedia'ed" the Coptic Orthodox Church and said that the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ Himself and is therefore the original Christian Church. It says that the Coptic Orthodox Church stemmed from the Catholic Church. We sent them a presentation about the history of The Coptic Church by Kamal K. Botros, Ph.D. from St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church of Calgary. Do you have any other sources good for this matter as well as more convincing evidence that the Coptic Orthodox Church is the original Church?

Also, if there is a conflict between someone from the Catholic Church thinking about commitment and marriage to someone from the Coptic Orthodox Church, does he have to be re-baptized in the Coptic Church? If so, does this make him not Catholic anymore? Would he have to leave his church that he grew up and serves in it as an active member? If it is difficult for him to convert, what is your advice?

Wikipedia is known to be unreliable. The presentation by Dr. Kamal is informative and very well done. You may also direct people that are interested in the Coptic Orthodox Church or in knowing more about the church to the Diocese website for literature or presentations on various religious and spiritual topics for all ages and all levels. The link below takes you directly to the specific literature on the differences between Orthodox and Catholics.

http://www.suscopts.org/resources/literature/orthodox-faith/difference-between-catholicism-and-orthodoxy/

When two people decide to marry each other, they will no longer be two, but one. This is a great Mystery, a Holy Sacrament that was initiated from the time that God brought Eve to Adam. "Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:22-25).

How then can two become one if they are spiritually divided? It is not possible. There are many differences in theology and in dogma between Catholics and Orthodox. We are instructed to love all Christians and all people, but we are not required to adopt foreign beliefs nor adhere to erroneous rituals. Until we are in full communion with other denominations, we do not share in any of their sacraments, nor do they with ours. This means that if one is to marry someone from the Coptic Orthodox Church, he/she must first believe all the teachings of the Church on a deep, spiritual, and personal level. The new convert must be truly and wholeheartedly committed to the church, not just merely attracted to a person in the Church. People should never convert if it is only based on marriage.