The Georgian Orthodox Church has elected a new Catholicos-Patriarch, Georgia Today reports.
The locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Shio (Mujiri), has been elected as the 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
Metropolitan Shio secured 22 votes during the election held at the expanded church council convened at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba Cathedral) in Tbilisi.
As for the other candidates, Metropolitan Iobi of the Urbnisi and Ruisi Diocese received nine votes, while Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi secured seven votes. One ballot was annulled.
Under Church regulations, only bishops were entitled to participate in the vote. A candidate required more than half of the votes cast by participating bishops to be elected Catholicos-Patriarch.
The new head of the Georgian Orthodox Church was elected during an expanded ecclesiastical council following the death of Georgia’s 141st Catholicos-Patriarch, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, who passed away on March 17, 2026, at the age of 93.
Following Ilia II’s death, the election of a new spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church was placed on the Church’s agenda.
