Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Public Relations Service of the Georgian Patriarchate, briefed the media on the agenda and organizational details of the expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church scheduled for May 11.

According to Jagmaidze, guests and delegates will be admitted to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

He said the event will be partially broadcast on television through the Georgian Public Broadcaster. The opening of the council and the voting process will air live, while the vote count itself will not be televised. The final announcement of the election result, however, will be broadcast live.

“As you know, according to the Church governance statute, the 14th expanded council is scheduled for tomorrow. During this council, voting will take place to select one of the three Patriarchal candidates. Tomorrow, the Georgian Church will have a new Catholicos-Patriarch, and this is a very significant event,” Jagmaidze stated.

He explained that attendance inside the cathedral will only be permitted through special pre-approved lists compiled in accordance with church regulations. Visitors and delegates must present identification documents for verification.

Jagmaidze also noted that the use of mobile phones during the proceedings will be strictly restricted. While parts of the session will remain closed, the Patriarchate may later release additional footage or information if deemed necessary.

Vehicle access to the area will be limited, while pedestrians will be able to reach the cathedral via Akhvlediani Street and from Avlabari Metro Station. He added that the cathedral courtyard will remain open to the public, with restrictions applying only to entry inside the church building.

During the April 28 session of the Holy Synod held at the Patriarchate, three candidates for the Patriarchal throne were selected: locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku Shio Mujiri, Metropolitan of Mrovi and Urbnisi Iobi Akiashvili, and Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi Grigoli Berbichashvili. Shio Mujiri received 20 votes during the Synod session, while the other two candidates each received seven votes.

Under church regulations, only bishops are eligible to vote in the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch. A candidate must receive more than half of the participating bishops’ votes to be elected. If no candidate secures a majority in the first round, a runoff vote will be held between the two leading candidates.

The rules governing the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch are defined by the Church governance statute adopted during the 13th expanded council of the Georgian Church held at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral on September 18–19, 1995.