In no more than two months, the election of [a new patriarch] will take place - let us pray that the will of God will be fulfilled with goodness, peace, God's grace and mercy, - Metropolitan of Batumi and Lazeti, Reverend Dimitri Shiolashvili, stated in his Sunday sermon.

According to him, the patriarch was a measure of relationship, dignity, love and dedication.

“I was 16 years old when His Holiness was consecrated as Patriarch, I was in Svetitskhoveli. My whole life passed near His Holiness. The most important and most difficult is the pain, the feeling that overcame me and not only me, but also many people. I saw people crying, mourning, and I had an amazing feeling, the one you considered your whole life to be part of your family, was not only yours, he was also a member of the family of many people, and this was a great mourning mixed with joy. The Patriarch was the measure of relationship, dignity, love, dedication.

No later than two months, the election [of the new Patriarch] will take place. The United Church Assembly will also discuss it, and then the Holy Synod will establish the Patriarch who will be enthroned on the Patriarchal Throne of Georgia. Let us pray that the will of God will be fulfilled with goodness, peace, and God's grace and mercy," said Reverend Dimitri.