The Metastasis of Infallibility and the Architecture of Factionalism A Socio-Ecclesiastical Study of Functional Sacredness, Monastic Sovereignty, and Faith Deconstruction in the Contemporary Coptic Context

The Coptic Orthodox Church historically and dogmatically rejects the concept of individual Papal or Episcopal infallibility, emphasizing instead a conciliar (Synodal) model of governance. However, a significant paradox has emerged in the contemporary era: the rise of "functional infallibility." This paper explores the tension between formal theological rejection of absolutism and the practical application of autocratic authority within church administration. By utilizing the novel Their Judge (Rezk, 2023) as a qualitative case study, this research establishes a socio-literary phenomenological laboratory. To bypass the administrative secrecy of "Sacred Silence" and maintain political neutrality without slipping into direct polemics, the text is treated as a heuristic simulation model of Weberian ideal types. Through this framework, the study analyzes how the "sacralization" of the administrative office leads to a metastasis of power, where the perceived sanctity of the Bishop radiates to his secular inner circle. This shift from the patristic model of the Bishop as a "physician" to an "iconic autocrat" is identified as a primary driver of institutional betrayal. The results of this study suggest that this structural rigidity facilitates "faith deconstruction" among the youth and encourages denominational migration, as the vacuum of accountability renders the institutional framework fragile in the face of modern transparency.