Mikheil Kavelashvili, the sixth President of Georgia, has congratulated the newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Shio III. “The election of a new spiritual primate of our Church is an event of immense national and spiritual significance, as it is directly linked to the spiritual life of our Motherland and people, their unity, and centuries-old traditions,” the statement reads. The sixth president expressed confidence that under the leadership of the new Patriarch, the Church will grow stronger, and its role in society will remain key. Kavelashvili emphasized the continuity of church tradition and the importance of the legacy of the previous primate. “I believe that under your leadership, the Georgian Orthodox Church will be further strengthened. The role of the Catholicos-Patriarch in establishing peace, love, and mutual respect in society is immeasurably important. <…> I sincerely […]
Mikheil Kavelashvili, the sixth President of Georgia, has congratulated the newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Shio III.
“The election of a new spiritual primate of our Church is an event of immense national and spiritual significance, as it is directly linked to the spiritual life of our Motherland and people, their unity, and centuries-old traditions,” the text reads.
The sixth president expressed confidence that under the leadership of the new Patriarch, the Church will grow stronger, and its role in society will remain key. Kavelashvili emphasized the continuity of church tradition and the importance of the legacy of the previous primate.
“I believe that under your leadership, the Georgian Orthodox Church will be further strengthened. The role of the Catholicos-Patriarch in establishing peace, love, and mutual respect in society is immeasurably important. <…> I sincerely wish you to worthily continue the legacy of the main pillar of the people — His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II,” Kavelashvili writes.
It is noted that Shio Mujiri, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, was elected as the new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (the 142nd in the country’s history) at the 14th expanded assembly in the Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral on May 11, 2026. From this day forward, he is Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III.
Up to 1,200 delegates participated in the expanded assembly. Shio Mujiri received 22 votes, Metropolitan Iov received 9, and Metropolitan Grigol received 7 votes.
The enthronement of the new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio Mujiri — Shio III — will take place at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta on May 12. According to church statutes, the solemn ceremony of the new head’s inauguration in the Georgian Orthodox Church must take place on the first religious holiday following the conclusion of the vote and the election of the new patriarch.
As a reminder, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. Since March 18, a civil memorial service was held at the Sameba Cathedral. Thousands of citizens honored the memory of the Georgian Patriarch. Throughout the mourning period, the flow of people wishing to say farewell to the head of the GOC was continuous, 24 hours a day.
In many cases, citizens had to stand in line for several hours to enter the cathedral. Some had to stay overnight on the grounds of Sameba due to the large flow of parishioners to ensure they could enter the cathedral by morning.
Ilia II was buried on March 22 in the Sioni Cathedral.
To organize the funeral and ensure security during the mourning days, a state commission was established, headed by the Prime Minister of Georgia, which included members of the government and three representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Ilia II was elected Catholicos-Patriarch on December 23, 1977. His Holiness’s enthronement took place on December 25, 1977.