Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) Becomes New Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church

Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) has been elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, succeeding the late Ilia II, who passed away in March at the age of 93 after nearly five decades leading one of Georgia’s most trusted institutions, and who had named Mujiri as his Locum Tenens in 2017.

The decision was announced by Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze), who headed the vote-counting commission, on May 11, at around 4 pm, following hours of extended church assembly at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral. The assembly drew some 1,200 delegates, with both clerical and lay groups, with the 39 members of the Holy Synod casting their votes by secret ballot.

Mujiri, 57, received 22 votes, more than half of Synod’s support required to make him a patriarch in the first round. Next came Metropolitan Iobi (Akiashvili) of Ruisi and Urbnisi diocese with 9 votes, while Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Photi and Khobi diocese secured 7 votes. No runoffs became necessary.

Shio – from now Shio III – thus becomes the 142nd primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and the tenth Patriarch since the restoration of the Church’s autocephaly in 1917. The May 11 election marks a generational turning point, the first succession in nearly half a century, closing the era of Ilia II, who is credited with reviving the Church and establishing it as the most trusted institution in a country where over 80 percent of the population professes Orthodox Christianity.

While Shio has yet to articulate any vision on following or departing from Ilia II’s governing style, and is perceived by some critics as an even bigger hardliner than his predecessor, the succession is nonetheless widely seen as marking a new era in the life of the Church. Emerging from the long shadow of a singular, dominant patriarch, the Holy Synod, the Church’s governing body, is expected to reclaim influence and authority, steering the institution toward a more collegial, pluralistic rule.

Addressing the crowd inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the newly-elected Patriarch Shio III announced that his enthronement ceremony will take place the following day, May 12, at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, a town outside Tbilisi. May 12 marks St. Andrew the First-Called Day, a public holiday in Georgia commemorating the arrival of St. Andrew, regarded as the first preacher of Christianity in the country. The enthronement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

Historic election

The succession process was set in motion by the death of Ilia II, who passed away on March 17 in a Tbilisi hospital where he had been admitted with severe internal bleeding, following a long decline in health. Having consistently topped public approval rankings and attained, in the eyes of many, the standing of a living saint, he was mourned by massive crowds who gathered in Tbilisi for his wake and funeral.

Shio’s role as Locum Tenens was formally confirmed by the Church hierarchs in the immediate aftermath.

The Holy Synod shortlisted three candidates during its April 28 meeting, in a procedure that drew controversy over the exclusion of two prominent figures, Metropolitan Isaia of Nikozi and Tskhinvali, and Metropolitan Daniel of Sachkhere and Chiatura. Their candidacies were dismissed based on the Synod’s interpretation of the eligibility criteria set out in the 1995 statute governing the Church, which requires candidates to possess “theological education” and to be “no younger than 40 years of age and no older than 70,” among other conditions. The interpretation was disputed by a part of the senior clergy.

The theological diploma of Metropolitan Iobi, one of the three shortlisted candidates, was separately reported to have gone missing from his residence, prompting a formal procedure at the Tbilisi Theological Seminary to verify his academic credentials.

The succession process drew widespread political scrutiny, with critics alleging that the ruling Georgian Dream party was actively campaigning in support of Shio Mujiri’s candidacy, while ruling party officials accused opposition circles of leading an “anti-Church” campaign. Over the preceding months, senior clerical figures had repeatedly called for refraining from any interference in the election.

Moscow also signalled its interest in the process, with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accusing Constantinople Patriarch of promoting candidates for the Georgian patriarch.

While two candidates – Iobi and Grigol – both published their visions in the weeks leading up to the election, suggesting social and governance reforms within the Church, no comparable public program has been presented by Shio Mujiri.

Who is Shio III

Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) has enjoyed a growing spotlight since his designation by Ilia II as Locum Tenens in 2017. Some of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s hardline or controversial positions, including those aligned with the ruling Georgian Dream party, have been attributed to him, as he increasingly took the reins amid Ilia II’s declining health.

Born and raised in downtown Tbilisi, in what would later become a prominent circle that includes Georgia’s fourth president Giorgi Margvelashvili and conservative, Moscow-friendly businessman Levan Vasadze, Mujiri initially pursued music, studying cello at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire before entering monastic life at Shiomghvime Monastery in 1991.

He was ordained a monk in 1993, became a deacon in 1995, and a priest in 1996, and later completed theological studies in Georgia and Russia, including at the Moscow Theological Academy and Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox University, where he also earned a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2015. In 2003, he was consecrated bishop and appointed head of the Senaki and Chkhorotsku Diocese.

While the position of locum tenens does not formally determine succession, his designation by Ilia II has elevated his public profile, with critics pointing to what they describe as coordinated media support for Shio after Ilia II’s death.

Shio’s figure has also been the subject of controversy, including scrutiny over his education in Russia and reported ties to Vasadze, with some critics fearing he might pursue Moscow-aligned policies, and some even suggesting his designation as a Locum Tenens back in 2017 may have been a result of external pressure, citing the visit of Hilarion Alfeyev, Moscow church official, to Tbilisi days before the announcement. Bishop Zenon (Iarajauli), one of the senior clergy critical of Mujiri, suggested in his remarks with Formula shortly before the election that Shio “was not Russia’s candidate, but Russia supports him.”

Others have expressed concern over his conservative stances, including his advocacy against abortion during sermons and his push for legislative action on the matter. In later sermons, he also addressed gender equality and the role of women, opposing “the attitude which diminishes the significance of a woman as a mother and wife.”

Also Read:

• 22/03/2026 – Obituary | Ilia II – The Man Who Reinvented the Church
• 01/04/2026 – Who May Succeed Patriarch Ilia II, And How Could It (Re-)Define Georgian Orthodox Church
  

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