Azernews.Az

Members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church have elected Metropolitan Shio as the new Patriarch during a closed expanded meeting attended by diocesan representatives, AzerNEWS reports.

The newly elected Patriarch Shio is 57 years old. Before taking monastic vows in 1993, he studied at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. In 1999, he graduated from the Batumi Theological Seminary before continuing his theological education at the Moscow Theological Academy and the Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University, where he completed his studies in 2005.

In 2003, the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church elected him as a bishop, and in 2010 he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

The election follows the death of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. Following his death, a period of national mourning was declared in Georgia and remained in effect until his funeral ceremony on March 22.