The Holy Synod’s meeting on April 3, which was expected to clarify eligibility criteria for candidates to succeed the late Patriarch Ilia II, ended after nearly six hours without a decision on age and education requirements, with clergy still hinting at a “theological seminary” background for the next leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church. According to the Patriarchate, the April 3 meeting focused on “procedural matters” for the elections.
The meeting comes as the 39-member Holy Synod prepares to elect a successor to the late Patriarch Ilia II by May 17 at the latest, from among three shortlisted candidates that church hierarchs will select at their next meeting on April 24. Ahead of the vote, however, several vague provisions on the eligibility of the candidates, including those concerning academic qualifications and age requirements, remain open to interpretation.
Church’s 1995 statute of Administration, under which the next Patriarch will be elected, requires that the patriarch possess “theological education” and be “no younger than 40 years of age and no older than 70.” The fate of at least two widely discussed potential candidates will depend on how the Synod interprets these provisions.
“Regarding education, there was no specific discussion, although at a minimum, a theological seminary remains a requirement,” Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s public relations service, told journalists after the meeting.
“As for age, no decision was made today. It was not determined, for example, how the provision stating ‘not more than 70 years old’ will be interpreted, and this will be discussed at the next Synod session, when the three candidates are selected,” he added, noting that the issue “was raised, but since there were many other issues [to address], it was decided that it would be discussed more specifically at the next Synod session.”
While the statute requires “theological education” and sufficient experience in church governance, it does not specify what qualifies as such education, or whether a specific degree is required. This ambiguity has fueled debate on whether one of the widely discussed potential candidates, Metropolitan Isaiah of the Nikozi and Tskhinvali diocese, who does not have any publicly documented theology degree, can qualify.
However, the statute also mandates “proper theological education” for hierarchs, including bishops and metropolitans. This suggests that his background was deemed sufficient at the time of his appointment as a bishop in April 1995 (the statute was adopted in September of the same year) and later as a metropolitan in 2006.
Another widely discussed candidate, Metropolitan Daniel of the Chiatura and Sachkhere diocese, is set to turn 71 on May 29, weeks after the May 17 deadline for the election of the new Patriarch. His age has also raised questions about his eligibility.
In public discussions, both Metropolitan Daniel and Metropolitan Isaiah have emerged as potential challengers to Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri), whom Ilia II named as his Locum Tenens in 2017 and who is widely regarded as one of the leading potential candidates in the succession race.
“At the next Synod session, we will select the candidates,” Metropolitan Nikoloz (Pachuashvili) told the press after the meeting. “There will be voting one by one, and the three candidates who receive the most votes will be nominated to the extended assembly.”
The extended assembly, where the next patriarch is going to be elected, will take place at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, but the date remains unknown.
How is Patriarch Elected?
Under the 1995 statute, a new Patriarch is elected at an extended church assembly from three candidates nominated by the Holy Synod. The vote must take place no earlier than 40 days and no later than two months after the Patriarch’s death, which is May 17 at the latest. Church officials said the Synod will nominate three candidates at the April 24 meeting, which will precede the convening of an extended church assembly to elect the new Patriarch.
Although the extended assembly includes both clergy and lay delegates, only members of the Holy Synod can stand as candidates and vote. To be elected, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the votes, at least 20 out of the current 39 members. If no candidate achieves this majority, a runoff is held.
Candidates must be “Georgian by nationality”, be “no younger than 40 years of age and no older than 70,” be a hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, possess “theological education,” have sufficient experience in church governance, and be ordained as a monk. Patriarchs are elected for life.
Also Read:
The post After Synod Meeting, Clerics Hint at New Patriarch’s Education Requirement, No Decision on Age first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
