Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Public Relations Service of the Georgian Patriarchate, has detailed the organization of the Extended Church Council of the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), where a new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia will be elected from three candidates.
The event will take place on May 11 in accordance with the current statute on church governance and will be designated as Extended Council No. 14. The vote for one of the three candidates for the patriarchal throne will be held during this session.
“Tomorrow, the Georgian Church will have a new Catholicos-Patriarch — this is a very significant event,” Jagmaidze noted.
He specified that participation in the council at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) will be restricted to those on pre-compiled special lists. These lists were recently finalized according to established rules based on data from the dioceses, including the Mtskheta-Tbilisi diocese. Upon entry, participants will be required to present identification for verification.
The cathedral will open its doors at 10:00 AM. All guests and delegates must be registered by 12:00 PM, after which the hierarchs will arrive at the cathedral to begin preparations for the vote.
The Patriarchate also emphasized that part of the procedure will be held behind closed doors. Only the opening of the council, the voting process, and the announcement of the results will be broadcast live. The counting of votes, however, will take place without television coverage.
It was specifically noted that the use of mobile phones during the event will be strictly restricted.
Coverage of the event will be provided by the GPB (Georgian Public Broadcaster) — First Channel. The Patriarchate added that some materials and footage may be released later if deemed necessary.
“The opening of the council will be live. Then the voting will take place live, but the counting of votes will not be broadcast. The announcement of the results will also be live,” Jagmaidze emphasized.