It is natural that no will exists and there was no need for one, proto-presbyter Father Giorgi Zviadadze told journalists at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.

According to him, the Patriarch appointed Metropolitan Shio as his locum tenens during his lifetime, which made a will unnecessary.

“According to canonical rules, if the Patriarch does not appoint a locum tenens during his lifetime, then he writes a will. However, since the Patriarch, as a very wise shepherd of the Apostolic Church of Georgia, decided during his lifetime to appoint a locum tenens in order to avoid any conflict or disagreement, the need for a will no longer exists. When a person appoints a locum tenens during their lifetime, there is no longer a need for a will. Therefore, no such will exists. As for the rule regarding the locum tenens, if the Patriarch has not appointed one and no will exists, then by ordination - ‘chirotonia,’ a Greek word meaning ordination - the senior, the one who was ordained first among the members of the Holy Synod, is considered the locum tenens. Today, there are no questions left. By the very firm and clear decision of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness appointed Metropolitan Shio as the locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, and there are no questions about this among the members of the Holy Synod or in our society,” said Father Giorgi Zviadadze.

In response to the question of whether a will exists in physical form, Father Giorgi Zviadadze said that it does not.

“As far as I know, I can state with full responsibility that, to the best of my knowledge, no will exists and cannot exist. The Patriarch, a globally recognized figure of immense authority in the entire Orthodox world, Ilia II, decided during his lifetime to declare both in writing and verbally that Metropolitan Shio would be the locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. There is no will. The Holy Synod would certainly have known about it. They would have mentioned it at a Synod meeting. Naturally, there is no will, and there was no need for one,” said Father Giorgi Zviadadze.

He asked the media, in light of the ongoing mourning period for the Patriarch, to refrain from asking questions about who will be the next Patriarch.

“Forty days must pass. This is the most difficult period, when the entire Church and society are deeply grieving the passing of the Patriarch. Speaking now about who the next Patriarch will be is very inappropriate and causes great pain to our Church,” he said.

For context, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, passed away on March 17. From March 18, his public lying-in-state was held at the Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral. Thousands of citizens paid their respects. Ilia II was buried on March 22 at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.