Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri), previously the acting locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, has been elected the new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. According to the BBC Russian Service, 22 of the 39 members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church voted for him.

The election took place at Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi 55 days after the death of Ilia II, who remained one of the most influential figures in the country for nearly half a century. Other candidates, Metropolitans Job and Grigol, received nine and seven votes, respectively.

According to the BBC, 57-year-old Shio is considered one of the most reclusive figures in the Georgian church. He studied at theological schools in Moscow and, in the late 1990s, headed the Georgian parish at St. George's Church in the Russian capital. In 2017, Ilia II unexpectedly appointed him locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, sparking speculation about Moscow's possible influence on internal processes within the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Patriarchate denied these allegations, and Shio himself called such accusations "gossip and slander."

As the BBC notes, the topic of external influence was also actively discussed before the current elections. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleged attempts by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to strengthen its position within the Georgian Church. The Georgian Orthodox Church itself called such statements unacceptable interference.

After Shio's election, Patriarch Kirill expressed hope that the Georgian Orthodox Church would maintain its previous position on the Ukrainian issue and not recognize the autocephaly of the OCU.