Pope Mark VII of Alexandria

Pope Mark VII of Alexandria (Abba Marcos VII), 106th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. Pope Mark VII was born in the city of Klosna, in the district of El Bahnasa, and his lay name was Simeon. He joined the Monastery of Saint Anthony at a young age, then moved to the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, where he became a monk and was ordained a priest. When Pope John XVII departed, he was chosen to succeed him. Pope Mark VII was ordained Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria on Sunday, 24 Pashons, 1461 A.M. (30 May 1745 AD) on the day of the feast of the entry of Christ to Egypt.

Pope Mark VII was contemporary of the Ottoman Sultans Mahmud I, Osman III, and Mustafa III.

He ordained a general bishop over Upper Egypt to shepherd its Christians. He also ordained HG John (Yoannis) the 14th as the 104th Metropolitan of Ethiopia.

Pope Mark VII occupied the Throne of Saint Mark for 23 years, 11 months, and 18 days. He departed on 12 Pashons 1485 A.M. (18 May 1769 AD), while he was residing in a monastery in Maadi. He was buried in the tombs of the Patriarchs at Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo. The Papal Throne was vacant after his departure for 5 months and 5 days.

Sources

• Coptic Synexarion

Popes of Alexandria and Patriarchs of the See of St. Mark
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II (AKA Theophanes) Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodolos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gainas Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons