Following the traditions of the church, the pope is chairman and head of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Under his leadership, within the space of a month, a committee consisting of fourteen members of the Synod, has the task of preparing, based on reports received, an initial list of five or six candidates for the election.

Once chosen, this list is then published in Egypt's three major Arab-language newspapers, communicating the names of the candidates to all the faithful of the Coptic Church.

At that point a grand assembly is called, including the 74 bishops of the Coptic Church and twelve representatives from each diocese, chosen from elders and leaders of associations.

The name on the card picked by the child will be the identity of the person chosen to be the new pope.

[3] After the death of Shenouda III on March 17, 2012 the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church voted on a successor.

One name was then picked by a blindfolded boy, believed to be guided by the hand of God.

[8] From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome.