The aim is to make the inherited worship intelligible. A faithful language balance lets English teach the meaning while Coptic, Arabic, and Greek keep the parish rooted in the Church’s actual history.
What English should carry
Readings, homilies, catechesis, and many core responses should be clear to the people present. The faithful need to hear Scripture, understand the Gospel, learn repentance, and answer the prayers with attention. English serves that need directly.
This is why translation is an act of pastoral care. It allows the local parish to receive the same Orthodox faith in a language that can be understood, taught, and carried home.
What the older languages preserve
Coptic preserves the Church’s Egyptian liturgical inheritance. Greek preserves parts of the early Alexandrian and wider ancient Christian vocabulary of prayer. Arabic preserves the living history of many modern Coptic families and priests. These languages are not interchangeable decorations; they are signs of how the faith was received and transmitted.
When a phrase is frequent, short, and deeply embedded in the hymn tradition, it may be worth learning in the inherited language. When a reading or instruction carries teaching for the whole parish, clarity in English is often pastorally important. The exact balance varies by parish, but the purpose should always be prayerful understanding joined to faithful memory.