At an expanded council of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Bishop Shio was today elected the new, 142nd Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

The hierarchs chose from among three candidates. Following the vote, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku Shio (Mudzhiri), received 22 votes; Metropolitan of Mroveli-Urbnisi Job (Akiashvili) received nine votes; and Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi Grigol (Berbichashvili) received seven votes.

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

Chorbishop of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, born Elizbar Teimurazovich Mudzhiri on February 1, 1969, in Tbilisi. After completing his studies at Tbilisi Secondary School No. 53 — where he also attended a music college — Elizbar Mudzhiri went on to study at the Tbilisi State Conservatory in 1988. In 1991, he entered the Shio-Mgvime Monastery as a novice. On February 5, 1993, novice Elizbar was tonsured a monk under the name Shio. He was appointed refectorian of the monastery and later its steward. In 1995, Monk Shio was ordained a deacon, and in 1996, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II ordained Hierodeacon Shio as a priest. In 1997, Hieromonk Shio was appointed rector of the Church of Saint George in the Kldisubani district of Tbilisi.

In 1998, he graduated from the Batumi Theological Seminary of Saint John the Theologian and continued his studies by correspondence at the Moscow Theological Academy. On April 3, 1998, Hieromonk Shio was granted the rank of hegumen with the right to wear a golden cross and was appointed rector of the Church of the Prophet Elijah. From March 6, 1999, Hegumen Shio served at the Anchiskhati Church in Tbilisi. From September 20 of the same year, he has served as rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas at Narikala. From October 2001, he served as rector of the Church of Saint George of the Georgian community in Moscow, while simultaneously studying at the Saint Tikhon's Theological Institute.

On August 18, 2003, the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church (in Urbnisi) elected Hegumen Shio as head of the newly formed Diocese of Senaki and Chkhorotsku. On September 7, his consecration as bishop took place at the patriarchal cathedral of Svetitskhoveli, performed by Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II with the participation of members of the Holy Synod. On December 25, 2007, Bishop Shio was awarded the Order of Saint George. In 2009, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. On August 2, 2010, he was appointed Chorbishop of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. On November 23, 2017, Bishop Shio was appointed locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and on June 21, 2018, at a session of the Holy Synod, he was awarded the right to wear a diamond cross on his skufia.