The ''protos'' ( el, πρώτος, "first, premier") is a monastic office at the

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canoni ...

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. The office headquarters are located in Karyes, Mount Athos.

Authority

The office is assumed by a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

who is elected among the members of the ''Iera Epistasia'' ("Holy Administration" or "Holy Executive Committee") which functions as the executive committee of the ''Iera Koinotita'' ("Holy Community") — the governing body of the monastic community of Mount Athos, composed of representatives from each of the Athonite monasteries — to be the head of the Athonite monastic community. The Protos is also known as the ''Protos Hesychastes'', or the "First Hesychast."

History

Since the founding of the Karyes Protaton in the tenth century until 1312, the Protos was directly appointed by the

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after being elected by the '' hegumenoi'' of Mount Athos. However, in November 1312, Andronikos II Palaiologos issued a

chrysobull A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renais