The Russian Orthodox Church is “compassionately following the situation” related to the possible poisoning of the locum tenens of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II Bishop Shio Mudjiri, a representative of the Moscow Patriarchy reported to TASS.
According to the representative, “We have only the information that was in the media. We are naturally concerned about the bishop. He previously served in Moscow, at the Church of St. George the Victorious in Georgians, and studied at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra Theological Academy.”
On July 5th, the television company “Mtavari” reported that the locum tenens of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, may have been poisoned, as heavy metals were found in his blood. According to the information from the television company, Bishop Shio is feeling well and continues his work.
On July 6th, the head of the press service of the Georgian Patriarchy, Deacon Andria Djagmaidze, confirmed that the blood tests of Metropolitan Shio showed higher levels of metal than the permissible limits.
The death of a woman who was cleaning Metropolitan Shio’s office suspiciously coincided with the news of Bishop Shio’s poisoning.
Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia initiated a criminal case on the charge of attempted premeditated murder of Reverend Shio Mudjiri.
