Three candidates for the post of Catholicos of Georgia have been identified.

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Metropolitan Shio received 20 votes at the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, where candidates for the patriarchal throne were elected. Metropolitans Job and Grigol each received seven votes.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, the Catholicos-Patriarch, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinti and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II was buried in Tbilisi on the fifth day of national mourning. During this time, entertainment events were canceled across the country, while a steady stream of people flocked to the coffin of the head of the Church around the clock.

Voting at the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church concluded on April 28, electing three candidates for the patriarchal throne, according to Georgia Online.

The locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio, received 20 votes, while the other two candidates, Metropolitan Job and Metropolitan Grigol, received seven votes each.

If the number of votes remains unchanged, Metropolitan Shio will win the expanded council and become the 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. The expanded council is scheduled for May 17.

Elizbar Mujiri (Shio) is the Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Elguja Akiashvili (Job) is the Metropolitan of Mroveli-Urbnisi, and Guram Berbicashvili (Grigol) is the Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi.

A national day of mourning was declared in Georgia in connection with the death of Patriarch Ilia II on March 17. Ilia II (January 4, 1933 - March 17, 2026) - Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, held this post for 49 years, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. His real name is Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri-Shiolashvili, according to the biographical information prepared by the "Caucasian Knot."