US congratulates Georgian Orthodox Church on election of Shio III as new Patriarch

The United States has congratulated the Georgian Orthodox Church and its congregation on the election of Shio III as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, according to a statement issued by the United States Embassy in Georgia.

In its statement on Tuesday, the embassy described the election as a historic event, noting that it marked the first time a Patriarch had been elected since Georgia regained independence.

“The United States warmly congratulates the Georgian Orthodox Church and its faithful on the election of His Holiness and Beatitude Shio III as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia,” the statement said.

The embassy also said it looked forward to cooperation with the Georgian Orthodox Church “for our shared cultural and civilisational goals”, describing it as one of the world’s oldest Christian denominations.

Earlier, the enthronement ceremony of Shio III took place at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.