Metropolitan Shio (Elizbar Mujiri) has been appointed as the new Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ) released the information via its official Telegram channel. According to the report, 22 bishops voted in favor of his candidacy during the electoral process.
In addition to Metropolitan Shio, there were two other candidates for the patriarchal throne: Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi, and Metropolitan Iob (Akiashvili) of Urbnisi and Ruisi. The election of the new head of the Georgian Orthodox Church follows the passing of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who died on March 17 after leading the church for nearly half a century.
The Georgian Orthodox Church holds a significant position in the country's social and political life, acting as a primary institution for national identity. The process of succession is governed by the Holy Synod, and the appointment of Metropolitan Shio marks a new era for one of the world's oldest Christian institutions. Metropolitan Shio had previously served as the Patriarchal Locum Tenens since 2017, a position designated by the late Ilia II to manage church affairs.
