ve presbyters, and the twelve presbyters are to place their hands upon his head, invoke blessing, and install him as Patriarch. They must then select another upright man—also a presbyter—and add him to their ranks in place of the one who has just been raised to the patriarchate, so that they will always remain twelve.

This procedure continued to be observed in Alexandria until the era of the three hundred and eighteen (318). The Patriarch of Alexandria who was himself one of the 318 ordered that it be discontinued: henceforth the presbyters were not to ordain the patriarch. Instead, they were to choose a virtuous man from whatever city he might come; and whenever the patriarch died, the bishops were to assemble and ordain his successor, whether he were one of those presbyters or someone else.

Thus the original rule whereby the presbyters installed the patriarch came to an end. To ease matters he introduced the title “Baba,” and thereafter the Patriarch of Alexandria was called “Baba,” a word that means “grandfather.”