Georgian Bishops Finalize Procedures for Patriarchal Election
Head of public relations for the Georgian Church says bishops finalized election procedures while emphasizing unity ahead of the patriarchal council.
TBILISI — Fr. Andria Jaghmaidze, head of the Public Relations Service of the Georgian Patriarchate, said bishops of the Georgian Orthodox Church met to finalize procedural matters ahead of the upcoming Extended Council that will elect the next patriarch.
Speaking to reporters, Fr. Andria explained that the bishops focused on ensuring all procedural issues are clearly defined before the council convenes, allowing the session itself to concentrate entirely on the patriarchal election. He said representatives from the dioceses of the three patriarchal candidates would each be permitted to address the council, though broader open-floor participation was limited in order to keep proceedings manageable.
Fr. Andria also outlined the voting process, stating that any candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the votes, or at least 20 votes, would be elected immediately. Otherwise, a second ballot would be held between the top two candidates. He added that no live broadcast of the council would take place, though a recording would later be released, and he dismissed reports suggesting divisions among bishops as unfounded.
As a reminder, the three candidates for the patriarchal election are Metr. Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne; Metr. Job of Mroveli-Urbneli; and Metr. Gregory of Poti and Khobi. The election is scheduled for Monday, May 11 at 1 p.m.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Shio received church leaders in Tbilisi.
