Pope Cosmas III of Alexandria was the
Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.
According to the ''
History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria
The ''History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria'' is a major historical work of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. It is written in Arabic, but draws extensively on Greek and Coptic sources.
The compilation was based on earlier biographical ...
'', after
Abuna Peter
Abuna (or Abune, which is the status constructus form used when a name follows: Ge'ez አቡነ ''abuna''/''abune'', 'our father'; Amharic and Tigrinya) is the honorific title used for any bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as w ...
of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church had become embroiled in a civil war and was forced into exile, and the
Emperor of Ethiopia requested a new ''
Abuna'' to replace him, Cosmas III refused to ordain a new ''Abuna'' because Peter was still alive. This led to strained relations between the two powers.
10th-century Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria
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