Metropolitan Shio urges prayers ahead of upcoming election for new Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch next week, calls for dignified celebration
Baku, May 6, AZERTAC
“The expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church, at which a new Catholicos-Patriarch is to be elected, will convene next week,” announced the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri), during a sermon delivered at Kashveti Cathedral, 1TV.ge reported.
“You will know that next week we shall be called upon to hold a great Church Council, an expanded Church Council, at which a new Catholicos-Patriarch is to be elected. I wish to ask our clergy, our monastic community, and every one of you, our beloved congregation, that we strengthen our prayers, so that this great occasion may be conducted with dignity, in peace and in love, that the will of God may be made manifest, and that the choice, the decision, may prove beneficial to our Church and to our people. Let us first of all beseech Saint George that his grace may be with us,” Metropolitan Shio declared.
The Synod selected three candidates for the Patriarch’s position on April 28. The candidates are: the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri); Metropolitan Iobi of Mroveli-Urbneli (Akiashvili); and Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili). Following a secret ballot, the votes were distributed among the candidates as follows: Locum Tenens Shio received 20 votes, whilst the remaining two candidates each received 7 votes.
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