“What we have witnessed in society in recent days—this unity—is something truly remarkable and worth preserving. It is unfortunate when anyone attempts to turn the processes surrounding this event into political assessments,” said Andria Jagmaidze, Head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service.

Regarding the Patriarch’s will, Jagmaidze recalled a conversation he had years ago with Ilia II, during which the Patriarch clearly expressed what should be included in it.

“After the Patriarch announced his Locum Tenens on November 23, 2017, as I was preparing to make a television comment, His Holiness spoke to me in detail about this matter. I wrote down his words at the time and still keep that note. There had been speculation about the will—where it was kept and what it contained. To put an end to such speculation, I recorded and later publicly shared his words. Therefore, the directive the Patriarch published about nine years ago should be regarded as his will,” Jagmaidze noted.

When asked about the future Patriarch, Jagmaidze emphasized that such discussions are inappropriate at this time.