a bishop and later elevated to metropolitan archbishop, as is the norm in all episcopal consecration according to the tradition of the Church of Alexandria; it is done concurrently on the same occasion. This has been the case since Cyril III consecrated Metropolitan Archbishop Basilius as the first Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop of Jerusalem and All the Near East. Usually the chosen hieromonk is consecrated first as a diocesan bishop, then with time, he could be awarded the higher dignity of metropolitan bishop. Sometimes the nominated diocesan bishop is already an assistant bishop, auxiliary bishop or general bishop, in which case he is only enthroned as the bishop of that diocese. Currently, and because the seniority of the members of the Holy Synod is decided according to the seniority of the consecretion/elevation date of the ecclesiastical ranks: First come the metropolitan archbishops and metropolitan bishops, followed by the diocesan bishops then the bishops exarchs of the throne, then the suffragan bishops, then the auxiliary bishops, then the general bishops and finally the chorbishops but also according to the date of consecration within each rank. Accordingly, the most senior position after the pope is the oldest consecrated metropolitan archbishop, who was Metropolitan Pachomios, the metropolitan archbishop of the Holy Metropolis of Damanhur (Hermopolis Parva) and Beheira (Consecrated in 1990). In spite of the ancient Alexandrine tradition, the most senior hierarch, after the senior hierarch of Pentapolis, is the hierarch of the Metropolis of Lycopolis, Hieracon and Apollonopolis Parva, which is Asyut; but since the great and ancient Titular Metropolis of Pentapolis in Cyrenaica, that comprises the Holy Suffragan Dioceses of Cyrene, Appollonia, Ptolemais, Berenice and Arsinoe, is currently a Titular title, incorporated within the jurisdiction of the metropolitan archbishop of the Holy Metropolis of Beheira Hermopolis Parva, Buto, Naucratis, Mariout Mareotis, Marsa Matruh Paraetonium, Apis; who is also the titular archbishop and patriarchal exarch of the Ancient and Holy Titular Archdiocese of Libya, comprising the titular suffragan dioceses of Livis, Marmarica, Darnis, Neapolis and Tripolitania; of the Ancient and Holy Exarchate of Africa in Tunisia, comprising the Titular and Holy Suffragan dioceses of Mauretania Tingitana and Mauretania Caesariensis and of the Ancient and Holy Titular Metropolis of Numedia in Algeria and Morocco that includes the Titular and Holy Suffragan dioceses of Leptis Parva and of Hadramentum. Accordingly, that honor goes to the Hierarch of the Metropolis of Lycopolis, Hieracon and Apollonopolis