| − | Having been devastated first by schism, and then by Islam, and also by European colonial powers, this church languished as a diaspora church for Greek speakers for a thousand years. It is only now making remarkable strides to regain its lost footing, having expanded west into territory lost to the Roman schism, south into territory lost to the [[Great_Schism#Chalcedonian_Schism | Coptic schism]], and even beyond that all the way to South Africa, establishing new dioceses in Madagascar, Kenya, Congo, South Africa and many other countries and regions of [[Africa]]. [[Alexandria]] is one of the three ancient Petrine Sees, having been established by [[St. Mark]] on the instructions of [[St. Peter]]. | + | Having been devastated first by schism, and then by Islam, and also by European colonial powers, this church languished as a diaspora church for Greek speakers for a thousand years. It is only now making remarkable strides to regain its lost footing, having expanded west into territory lost to the Roman schism, south into territory lost to the [[Great_Schism#Chalcedonian_Schism | Coptic schism]] of 451AD, and even beyond that all the way to South Africa, establishing new dioceses in Madagascar, Kenya, Congo, South Africa and many other countries and regions of [[Africa]]. [[Alexandria]] is one of the three ancient Petrine Sees, having been established by [[St. Mark]] on the instructions of [[St. Peter]]. |