Metropolitan Shio elected as new Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church

Metropolitan Shio has been elected as the new Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church during an expanded Holy Synod session held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.

The closed-door session of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s expanded council began at 1:00 p.m. Clergy members voted among three candidates: Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Shio, Metropolitan Iob, and Metropolitan Grigol.

According to the voting results, Metropolitan Shio received 22 votes, Metropolitan Iob secured 9 votes, while Metropolitan Grigol received 7 votes.

The election marks a significant moment for the Georgian Orthodox Church, one of the country’s most influential institutions.