Synod session to elect three candidates for Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia today

A session of the Holy Synod will be held today in the Patriarchate of Georgia. At the session, which will begin at 12:00, the members of the Synod will elect three candidates for the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia.

A candidate for the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia must meet the following requirements: be a Georgian by nationality, a high priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church, have a theological education and sufficient experience in church governance, be at least forty years old and no more than seventy years old, and be a monk.

Each member of the Synod has the right to nominate one candidate for the patriarchate, including his own candidacy.

The three high priests who receive the majority of votes at the Synod will run for election at the expanded assembly as candidates for the patriarchate.

If no candidate receives more than half of the votes at the meeting, a second ballot is held. The two candidates who receive the majority of votes in the first ballot participate in it.

Only the patriarchs participate in the ballot for the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch at the expanded meeting. The candidate who receives more than half of the votes of the patriarchs participating in the meeting will be considered elected as the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

In addition, the date of convening the expanded meeting is established by the regulation of the Church’s management and board – the meeting is held 40 days after the death of the Patriarch, but no later than two months.

The date of the meeting must be set by the Synod today.