Priesthood and Deacons
Why do people call the priest Abouna?
Coptic Orthodox Christians call the priest Abouna because he is ordained to be a spiritual father in the Church. The word means our father, and it is one of the most natural forms of address in Coptic parish life.
The title reminds the people that priesthood is fatherly service: teaching, blessing, correction, confession, prayer for the sick, guidance in repentance, and service at the Eucharistic altar.
Fatherhood As Pastoral Care
The biblical root is both priestly and fatherly. In the Old Testament, priests serve before God on behalf of the people and teach them to distinguish what is holy. In the New Testament, St. Paul speaks of fatherly care when he exhorts and comforts the faithful.
In the Coptic Church, Abouna became the ordinary parish word because spiritual care is received as fatherhood, rather than as religious management. A priest's authority is meant to heal, teach, and reconcile the person to Christ.
As you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children.
Abouna In Parish Life
In Coptic practice, people may say Abouna before asking for a blessing, requesting a confession appointment, speaking about a family matter, or asking a liturgical question. Children learn the word early because the priest is part of the parish's spiritual household.
During the Liturgy, the same Abouna who may speak gently after church stands at the altar with fear and reverence. This combination matters. The priest is approachable as a father and set apart as a servant of the mysteries.
Respect With Accountability
True fatherhood in the Church leads toward Christ, repentance, confession, Communion, Scripture, and steady life in the Church. It is affectionate and accountable at the same time.
For someone learning the Coptic Church, saying Abouna is enough. If you are unsure about pronunciation, ask a parishioner and keep going. For those already inside the Church, the word Abouna should awaken prayer and responsibility: a priest needs the people's prayers, and the people need pastoral care that is faithful to Christ and His Church.
- Ranks of Clergymen, SUSCopts Deacons. Overview of bishops, priests, and deacons within the ordained service of the Church.
- Priesthood, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate / COEPA. Pope Shenouda III's teaching on the ordained priesthood, its calling, authority, duties, and place in the Church.
- Why Do We Kiss a Priest's Hand?, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States Q&A. Pastoral answer on honoring the priesthood and asking for blessing by kissing the priest's hand.
- Rituals of the Sacraments, Servants Preparation Program, SUSCopts. Servants-prep lesson on the rites of Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Repentance and Confession, Unction, Matrimony, and Priesthood.
Orthodox: Right worship and right belief, naming the Church's received apostolic faith and the life of worship that preserves it.
Abouna: A common Coptic way to address a priest, meaning our father, because priestly service is pastoral and fatherly within the life of the Church.
Confession: The sacrament of repentance in which a person confesses sins before God in the presence of the priest and receives absolution and guidance.
Altar: The holy table in the sanctuary where the Eucharistic gifts are offered and consecrated, treated with reverence as the center of liturgical worship.
Mysteries: The Orthodox name for the sacraments, calling attention to God's grace given through visible rites such as Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and the Eucharist.
Holy Communion: The faithful receiving the true Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, after baptismal life, repentance, confession, fasting, reconciliation, and pastoral preparation.