BREAKING: Metr. Shio Elected Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia

Patr. Shio III of Georgia. Photo: sakartvelosambebi.ge

TBILISI — At the expanded session of the Georgian Orthodox Church held on Monday afternoon in the nation’s capital, Metr. Shio – who had been serving as Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne since the repose of Patr. Ilia II – was officially elected as the next Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. UOJ-Georgia has been reporting on the situation on the ground at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Now styled as His Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III, the former bishop of Senaki and Chkhorotsku received 22 out of 39 votes. Metr. Iobi (Job) of Ruisi and Urbnisi received nine votes, and Metr. Grigoli (Gregory) of Poti and Khobi received seven votes. One vote was deemed invalid.

In his acceptance speech, His Beatitude stated:

“Venerable fathers, brothers and sisters. It's hard for me to express the spiritual feelings with which I accept this election. I give thanks to God, who has shown His mercy to me.

Glory to the Most Holy Mother of God, St. Shio Mgvime and other saints. I thank the bishops of the Holy Synod.

Special thanks to the Georgian people — for their prayers and love. The cross of pastoral service is heavy. I ask you to pray for me, for our people, so that I may govern them worthily for the good of the nation.”

The enthronement of the new Patriarch will take place at 10 a.m. local time at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral – Georgia’s second largest Orthodox church. The enthronement coincides with the commemoration of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle’s entry into Georgia, a particularly revered day honored as a national holiday and day off from work since 2003.

His Beatitude will serve as the 142nd primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He was tonsured with the name Shio in 1993, ordained hierodeacon in 1995 and hieromonk in 1996 – each by Patr. Ilia II – and appointed abbot of a monastery in 1997. He was consecrated a bishop in 2003 and eventually selected as locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne by Patr. Ilia II in 2017.

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