Participants in the Enlarged Council of the Georgian Orthodox Church elected a new Primate today, May 11, in a closed-door session. Metropolitan Shio Mujiri was elected to the position.
According to religious scholar Andrii Smyrnov, the newly elected Patriarch is noted for his strong anti-Western rhetoric and criticism of "liberal ideologies." Analysts suggest that this stance aligns him with the Russian Orthodox Church's views. Notably, Shio opposed the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Smyrnov emphasized that the new Patriarch faces a crucial choice: to strike a balance between continuity and change, and between tradition and the need for adaptation. The path he chooses will significantly influence not only the future of the Georgian Church but also its role in society.
"The ancient Apostolic Autocephalous Church of Georgia is entering a new historical period shaped by the legacy of the half-century reign of Patriarch Ilia II. Simultaneously, the Church is confronted with numerous challenges, both internal and broader, in the context of the country's life. Georgia itself stands at a complex historical crossroads, faced with a choice: to completely free itself from Russian imperial influence — political, intellectual, economic, and theological — or to remain entangled in a complex regional situation marked by uncertainty and ambiguity," noted Andrii Smyrnov.
In the election, Metropolitan Shio received 22 votes, Metropolitan Job received 9, and the third candidate, Metropolitan Grigol, received 7. One vote was declared invalid.