List of Popes of Alexandria
& Patriarchs of the See of St. Mark
[Coptic Orthodox Popes]
1st century
St. Mark the Evangelist, 1st Pope of Alexandria
c. 45 – 25 Apr 62; feast 25 Apr
One of the Seventy Apostles and traditionally viewed as the author of the Gospel of Mark. The Evangelist of the Land of Egypt. He was martyred at Baucalis (east of Alexandria) during the persecution of Christians led by the Roman Emperor Nero.
St. Anianus, 2nd Pope of Alexandria
62 – 29 Nov 83; feast 25 Apr
St. Anianus turned his house into a church, and it is said that it is the one known as the church of St. Mark which stands today in Alexandria.
St. Avilius, 3rd Pope of Alexandria
13 Dec. 83 – 11 Sep 95; feast 11 Sep
He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian.
St. Kedron, 4th Pope of Alexandria
18 Sep 95 – 28 Jun 106; feast 28 Jun
He was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Trajan.
2nd century
Primus, 5th Pope of Alexandria
29 Jun 106 – 9 Aug 118
He was one of the three who were ordained priest by St. Mark the Apostle.
St. Justus, 6th Pope of Alexandria
23 Sep 118 – 19 Jun 129; feast 19 Jun
He was the first Dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria appointed by St. Mark the Apostle. He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the persecution against Christians by the Roman Emperor Hadrian
St. Eumenes, 7th Pope of Alexandria
18 Jul 129 – 19 Oct 141; feast 19 Oct
Second Dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the persecution against Christians by the Roman Emperor Hadrian.
St. Markianos, 8th Pope of Alexandria
17 Nov 141 – 14 Jan.152; feast 14 Jan
Third Dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. During his Patriarchy, the Christians were persecuted by the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.
St. Celadion, 9th Pope of Alexandria
29 Jan 152 – 16 Jul 166; feast 16 Jul
He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the persecution against Christians by the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.
St. Agrippinus, 10th Pope of Alexandria
1 Aug 166 – 12 Feb 178;feast 12 Feb
He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the persecution against Christians by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
St. Julian, 11th Pope of Alexandria
18 Mar 178 – 17 Mar 188; feast 17 Mar
He was elected Pope of Alexandria during the persecution against Christians by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
St. Demetrius I, 12th Pope of Alexandria
17 Mar 188 – 22 Oct 230; feast 9 Oct
During his Patriarchy, the Christians were persecuted by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus.
3rd century
St. Heraclas, 13th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Dec 246
St. Dionysius the Great, 14th Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Mar 264
St. Maximus, 15th Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Apr 282; feast 22 Apr, 27 Dec
St. Theonas, 16th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Jan 301
4th century
St. Peter I, 17th Pope of Alexandria
– 25 Nov 311
St. Achillas the Great, 18th Pope of Alexandria
– 27 Jun 313
St. Alexander I, 19th Pope of Alexandria
– 30 Apr 328
St. Athanasius the Great, 20th Pope of Alexandria
– 2 May 373
St. Peter II, 21st Pope of Alexandria
– 27 Feb 379
St. Timothy I, 22nd Pope of Alexandria
– 2 Aug 385
St. Theophilus I, 23rd Pope of Alexandria
– 15 Oct 412
5th century
St. Cyril, 24th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 July 444; feast day 9 February
St. Dioscorus the Great, 25th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Sep 454
St. Timothy II, 26th Pope of Alexandria
– 31 Jul 477
* Beginning 451, for the Chalcedonian line see
& Chalcedonian Patriarchs of Alexandria
St. Peter III, 27th Pope of Alexandria
– 11 Nov 489
St. Athanasius II, 28th Pope of Alexandria
– 30 Sep 496
St. John I, 29th Pope of Alexandria
– 29 Apr 505
6th century
St. John II (III), 30th Pope of Alexandria
– 22 May 516
St. Dioscorus II, 31st Pope of Alexandria
– 27 Oct 517
St. Timothy IV (III), 32nd Pope of Alexandria
– 20 Feb 535
St. Theodosius I, 33rd Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Jun 566
St. Peter IV, 34th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Jun 576
St. Damian, 35th Pope of Alexandria
– 25 Jun 605
7th century
St. Anastasius, 36th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Dec 618
St. Andronicus, 37th Pope of Alexandria
– 16 Jan. 623
St. Benjamin I, 38th Pope of Alexandria
– 16 Jan 662
St. Agathon, 39th Pope of Alexandria
– 26 Oct 680
St. John III, 40th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Dec 689
St. Isaac, 41st Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Nov 692
St. Simeon I, 42nd Pope of Alexandria
– 31 Jul 700
8th century
St. Alexander II, 43rd Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Feb 729
St. Cosmas I, 44th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Jun 730
St. Theodoros I, 45th Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Feb 742
St. Michael I, 46th Pope of Alexandria
– 25 Mar 767
St. Mina I, 47th Pope of Alexandria
– 7 Feb 776
St. John IV, 48th Pope of Alexandria
– 24 Jan 799
St. Mark II, 49th Pope of Alexandria
– 30 Apr 819
9th century
St. Jacob, 50th Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Feb 830
St. Simeon II, 51st Pope of Alexandria
– 13 Oct 830
St. Joseph I, 52nd Pope of Alexandria
– 2 Nov 849
St. Michael II, 53rd Pope of Alexandria
– 30 Apr 851
St. Cosmas II, 54th Pope of Alexandria
– 30 Nov 858
St. Shenouda I, 55th Pope of Alexandria
– 2 May 880
St. Michael III, 56th Pope of Alexandria
– 29 Mar 907
10th century
St. Gabriel I, 57th Pope of Alexandria
– 28 Feb 920
St. Cosmas III, 58th Pope of Alexandria
– 12 Mar 932
St. Macarius I, 59th Pope of Alexandria
– 2 Apr 952
St. Theophilus II, 60th Pope of Alexandria
– 19 Dec 956
St. Mina II, 61st Pope of Alexandria
– 25 Nov 974
St. Abraham, 62nd Pope of Alexandria
– 6 Dec 978
Philotheos, 63rd Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Nov 1003
11th century
St. Zacharias, 64th Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Nov 1032
Shenouda II, 65th Pope of Alexandria
– 29 Oct 1046
St. Christodoulos, 66th Pope of Alexandria
– 23 Dec 1077
St. Cyril II, 67th Pope of Alexandria
– 19 Jun 1092
St. Michael IV, 68th Pope of Alexandria
– 7 Jun 1102
12th century
St. Macarius II, 69th Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Sep 1128
St. Gabriel II, 70th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Apr 1145
St. Michael V, 71st Pope of Alexandria
– 11 Apr 1146
St. John V, 72nd Pope of Alexandria
– 12 May 1166
Mark III, 73rd Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Jan 1189
John VI, 74th Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Jan 1216
13th century
After the departure of John VI, the Apostolic Throne remained vacant for nineteen years, the longest vacancy in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
St. Cyril III, 75th Pope of Alexandria
– 23 Mar 1243
After the departure of St. Cyril III, the Apostolic Throne remained vacant for seven years and seven months because of the intense persecution which did not allow the Copts to elect a successor.
Athanasius III, 76th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Dec 1261
John VII was Pope of Alexandria from 1262 to 1268 and again from 1271 to 1293. With support from some of the bishops, Pope John VII was replaced for three years by Pope Gabriel III, who was originally one of the candidates for the post. He was restored as pope after the death of Gabriel III. This is the only occasion in history when the Coptic Orthodox Church had two popes at the same time.
St. Gabriel III, * 77th Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Jan 1271
St. John VII * 78th Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Apr 1293
Theodosius III, 79th Pope of Alexandria
– 13 Jan 1300
14th century
St. John VIII, 80th Pope of Alexandria
– 11 Jun 1320
St. John IX, 81st Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Apr 1327
Benjamin II. 82nd Pope of Alexandria
– 19 Jan 1339
St. Peter V, 83rd Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Jul 1348
Mark IV, 84th Pope of Alexandria
– 13 Feb 1363
St. John X, 85th Pope of Alexandria
– 26 Jul 1369
St. Gabriel IV, 86th Pope of Alexandria
– 11 May 1378
St. Matthew I, 87th Pope of Alexandria
– 13 Jan 1408
15th century
Gabriel V, 88th Pope of Alexandria
– 16 Jan 1427
St. John XI, 89th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 May 1452
St. Matthew II, 90th Pope of Alexandria
– 23 Sep 1465
Gabriel VI, 91st Pope of Alexandria
– 28 Dec 1474
Michael VI, 92nd Pope of Alexandria
– 23 Feb 1478
John XII, 93rd Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Sep 1483
John XIII, 94th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Feb 1524
16th century
St. Gabriel VII, 95th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Jul 1568
St. John XIV, 96th Pope of Alexandria
– 8 Sep 1586
St. Gabriel VIII, 97th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 May 1603
17th century
Mark V, 98th Pope of Alexandria
– 11 Sep 1619
Arabic becomes Egypt's official language. Islamic rulers threatened to cut the tongues of any Egyptian that was found speaking in the Coptic language. Despite the persecutions, the Coptic Popes are credited for preserving the Coptic language.
St. John XV, 99th Pope of Alexandria
– 10 Sep 1629
Matthew III, 100th Pope of Alexandria
– 3 Apr 1646
St. Mark VI, 101st Pope of Alexandria
– 20 Apr 1656
St. Matthew IV, 102nd Pope of Alexandria
– 22 Aug 1675
St. John XVI 103rd Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Jun 1718
18th century
St. Peter VI, 104th Pope of Alexandria
– 4 Apr 1726
St. John XVII, 105th Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Apr 1745
St. Mark VII, 106th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 May 1769
St. John XVIII, 107th Pope of Alexandria
– 9 Jun 1796
St. Mark VIII, 108th Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Dec 1809
19th century
St. Peter VII, 109th Pope of Alexandria
– 5 Apr 1852
Cyril IV, 110th Pope of Alexandria
– 31 Jan 1862
Demetrius II, 111th Pope of Alexandria
– 18 Jan 1870
St. Cyril V, 112th Pope of Alexandria
– 7 Aug 1927
He was the longest-serving Pope in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
20th century
John XIX, 113th Pope of Alexandria
– 21 Jun 1942
St. Macarius III, 114th Pope of Alexandria
– 31 Aug 1945
Joseph II, 115th Pope of Alexandria
– 14 Nov 1956
St. Cyril VI, 116th Pope of Alexandria
– 9 Mar 1971
Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria
– 17 Mar 2012
21st century
Tawadros II, 118th Pope of Alexandria
– current
