Voting for Patriarchal candidates concludes at expanded council of Georgian Orthodox Church

The voting process for the Patriarchal candidates at the expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church has now concluded. All 39 members of the Holy Synod took part in the ballot.

The counting of votes will take place behind closed doors, whilst the final result of the ballot will be announced live on air. The chairman of the vote-counting commission, Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze), will declare the result.

At the expanded council, only members of the Holy Synod were entitled to cast votes in the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch, whilst the delegates participating in the broader work of the council held an advisory vote only.

The candidate who receives more than half of the votes cast by the participating bishops, in this instance, 20 votes, shall be deemed elected as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
The Patriarchal candidates are: the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri); Metropolitan Iobi of Mroveli-Urbnisi (Akiashvili); and Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili).

The expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church is in the process of electing Georgia’s new, 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch.