A meeting of the Holy Synod is underway at the Georgian Patriarchate, where Synod members are expected to select three candidates for the post of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
Under Church regulations, a candidate must be an ethnic Georgian, a bishop of the Georgian Orthodox Church, have theological education and sufficient experience in Church governance, be between 40 and 70 years old, and be a monk.
Each member of the Synod has the right to nominate one candidate, including themselves. The three hierarchs who receive the most votes at the Synod will then stand as candidates at an expanded Church council.
If no candidate receives more than half of the votes at the council, a second round of voting will be held between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round.
Based on the Church’s regulations, the expanded council must be convened 40 days after the death of the Patriarch, but no later than two months afterward. The Patriarchate’s public relations chief, Andria Jagmaidze, said the council must be held by May 17, though the Synod is not necessarily required to decide on the date today.
The issue of electing a Patriarch arose after the passing of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, on March 17. Ilia II was buried on March 22 at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.
