Antonios was elected in 2004 by the Holy Synod and enthroned by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria. His removal was not accepted as canonical by the Coptic church at the time, and the Orthodox world was divided over whether to recognise his successors. He was allowed to appear in public once, at a Mass in Asmara in July 2017, and then disappeared again. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom listed him for years as a religious prisoner of conscience; he died in detention on 9 February 2022 and was buried the following day at the monastery of Abune Andreas. The church's own official channels acknowledged his death without acknowledging the detention.