 In February 2012, and after the Patriarch's health deteriorated, the oldest in the ranks of bishops, Kyrillos William, the Bishop of Assiut, was assigned as assistant to the patriarch to run the church in case of incapacity of the Patriarch.Cardinal Naguib had suffered a stroke on 31 December 2011 suffering from a partial paralysis and has difficulty in pronunciation.Although his health improved slowly with the help of physiotherapy, he had to undergo further brain surgery.