Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church took part in the celebrations of the enthronement of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III

Large-scale church and state celebrations dedicated to the enthronement of the newly elected His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III took place in Tbilisi. The events were attended by a delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate, which arrived in the Georgian capital with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

According to the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, the delegation was represented by Metropolitan Amvrosy of Tver and Kashinsk and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations. on May 17, 2026, members of the delegation prayed at the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was celebrated by Patriarch Shio III and Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, accompanied by the hierarchs of the local Churches. The celebration was attended by the highest leadership of Georgia: President M. Kavelashvili, Prime Minister I. Kobakhidze and Speaker of Parliament Sh. Papuashvili.

The festivities coincided with the Day of the Sanctity of the Family, which is celebrated at the state level. After the procession of thousands of people to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Patriarch Shio III appealed to the flock to protect the institution of family and traditional values. The Primate emphasized the importance of legislating norms protecting the people from «harmful gender theories and ideology,» calling it the key to preserving the country. This position was also supported by the first persons of the state, noting the unifying role of the Church in preserving the Orthodox identity of Georgia.

During the visit, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the ancient Zion Cathedral, where they performed a liturgy at the tomb of the deceased Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and worshipped the cross of St. Nina. At a solemn reception in the evening of the same day, Metropolitan Ambrosius conveyed congratulations from Patriarch Kirill, emphasizing that the new ministry begins in the year of the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Georgia. At the end of the meeting, the newly elected Primate was presented with memorable gifts on behalf of the Russian Church.