WI the Copts were courted after 1054?

The Copts split from the mainstream Christain churches in 451, ostensibly over doctrine etc but apparently there was church power politics involved (which doersn't surprise me). What If after the great schism of 1054 the Western Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox churches tried get increase their power and influence by trying to re-align with the Coptic churches? Both could say the issue of 451 was just a misunderstanding and find points of commonality to work with.

More important would be the political ramifications of such efforts. The church was tightly integrated with the state, with the Byzantine Emperor being the head of the orthodox chruch and the Pope crowning kings and emperors in the west. So any reasonable attempt for the churches to align themselves with the Coptics would have power political implications. Perhaps European kings would have regular contact with Ethiopia in the 1100s as a result?
 

Philip

Donor
The Copts split from the mainstream Christain churches in 451,

It was a longer process than that. It wasn't until Jacob Barabdaeus that there was a real/formal split.

ostensibly over doctrine etc but apparently there was church power politics involved (which doersn't surprise me).

It was over doctrine. Politics came into play as each side tried to advance its theological position and as the emperor tried to exert control.

What If after the great schism of 1054 the Western Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox churches tried get increase their power and influence by trying to re-align with the Coptic churches? Both could say the issue of 451 was just a misunderstanding and find points of commonality to work with.

I don't really think this is possible at that time. There have been attempts at this today, and so far they have failed. Given the mindset of the 11th Century, I don't think a 'compromise' will work. As far the Copts are concerned, Rome is theologically equivalent to Constantinople. I don't see much political motivation for the Copts either. How happy will the Fatamids be about this reunion? It seems unlikely that they would approve of it given what is going on in Iberia at the time.


Perhaps European kings would have regular contact with Ethiopia in the 1100s as a result?

Seems to me that regular contact will be difficult given the geography and political state of the 1100s regardless of any ecclesiastical union.
 
It really, really is hard for us moderns to grasp the mediaeval mindset - but people rioted in the streets on minor points of Christology.

I mean 'dual nature' vs. 'single nature' - what the heck does that even MEAN? Yet, to be a monophysite was to be a traitor to the Empire....

I could see the Catholics (theoretically) being willing to compromise, if there was enough at stake. After all, they did manage to create some Uniate churches in the MidEast out of monophysites, but ... it's still going to be tough.

[personally, I'm Nicene and Chalcedonian, but I figure that once we can say 'Christ is fully God and fully Man', then # of nature, wills, etc. is arguing over shadows...]
 
IIRC Ethiopians revolted when their Emperor converted to Catholicism in the 1600s, so obviously passions run very deep. However organisations like to have allies when they are jostling for power, so I think that other Catholic and Orthodox churches could make an effort to emphasise similarities with the Coptic churches in oder to build an alliance of sorts.
 
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