Bidzina and Ekaterina Ivanishvili have congratulated Shio III on his election as the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. The congratulatory message notes that from this day forward, the Patriarch is entrusted with an honorable yet demanding mission—to lead the Mother Church and serve as the spiritual father to every Orthodox Georgian, the entire nation, and the clergy. “Your Holiness, it is a profound historical responsibility to serve the Church and the country at a time when society is in particular need of spiritual fortitude, unity, and peace. This responsibility is further magnified by the fact that you are continuing the path of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, who worthily led our people and country for half a century through a complex and turbulent period […]
Bidzina and Ekaterina Ivanishvili have congratulated Shio III on his election as the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
The congratulatory message notes that from this day forward, the Patriarch is entrusted with an honorable yet demanding mission—to lead the Mother Church and serve as the spiritual father to every Orthodox Georgian, the entire nation, and the clergy.
“Your Holiness, it is a profound historical responsibility to serve the Church and the country at a time when society is in particular need of spiritual fortitude, unity, and peace.
This responsibility is further magnified by the fact that you are continuing the path of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, who worthily led our people and country for half a century through a complex and turbulent period.
We believe that your service will become a foundation for tranquility, mutual support, and national unity, and will further strengthen the centuries-old traditions and values of the Georgian Church, upon which our national identity is built.
We wish you health, strength, and spiritual resilience.
May God bless Your Holiness and all of Georgia!” — reads the statement by Bidzina Ivanishvili and Ekaterina Khvedelidze.
It should be noted that Shio Mudzhiri, the Locum Tenens (acting head) 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, he is Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III.
Up to 1,200 delegates took part in the expanded assembly. Shio Mudzhiri received 22 votes, Metropolitan Iov received 9, and Metropolitan Grigol received 7.
The enthronement of the newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio Mudzhiri — 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, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. From March 18, a lying-in-state was held at the Sameba Cathedral. Thousands of citizens paid their respects to the Georgian Patriarch. Throughout the days of mourning, a continuous stream of people wishing to say farewell to the head of the GOC (Georgian Orthodox Church) flowed 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 influx 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 and including 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.
