The enthronement ceremony of Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Shio III is being held at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, representatives of executive and legislative governments and Honorary Chair of the Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili are attending the enthronement ceremony.

The expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) as the new, 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia on May 11.

The bishops cast their votes amongst three candidates. The results of the ballot were as follows: the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri) received 22 votes; Metropolitan Iobi of Mroveli-Urbnisi (Akiashvili) received nine votes; and Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili) received seven votes.

Only members of the Holy Synod were entitled to vote at the expanded council. Thirty-nine members of the Synod participated in the ballot; one vote was declared invalid.