Election of a new Patriarch of Georgia: Patriarchate calls for calm and trust in the Holy Synod

The Georgian Orthodox Church is entering a crucial period of preparation for the election of a new Catholicos-Patriarch following the death of Ilia II. Amid growing public debate and media pressure, Patriarchate officials are calling on the faithful and civil society to have dignity and full confidence in the Holy Synod, emphasizing the need to follow Church canons rather than television debates.

According to Orthodoxia News Agency, Protopresbyter Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Georgian Patriarchate’s public relations service, issued an official statement calling for an end to the rhetoric of schism. He noted that Metropolitan Shio, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, has successfully managed the administrative tasks of the Patriarchate for the past nine years and was personally chosen by Ilia II to ensure stability and prevent unnecessary anxiety in society.

According to the 1995 Statute of the Georgian Church, the procedure for electing a new Primate must be initiated within a period of 40 days to two months from the vacancy of the throne. The country’s political leadership, represented by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, has already reiterated its position of non-interference, stating that the election is solely a matter for the Holy Synod.

The future Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia will be elected from among three candidates nominated by the Synod. The candidate must be a citizen of Georgia, have monastic status, theological education and administrative experience, and be between the ages of 40 and 70. Thirty-nine bishops will take part in the voting, which will determine the new leader of the Church by absolute majority. These elections will be a historic event, as they are being held for the first time in 49 years, marking the end of an entire era in the spiritual life of Georgia.