Patriarch Shio III calls for ongoing effort to safeguard freedom

At a ceremonial event marking Georgia’s Independence Day at Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Shio III, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, addressed the public and conscripts who took their military oath as part of the celebrations.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Patriarch emphasised that freedom should not be viewed solely as a political achievement or a legacy of the past, but as a responsibility that must be strengthened and protected every day.

“Freedom should not be reduced to a political achievement or a heritage of the past; rather, we must work and care for its strengthening every day”, he said.

He also highlighted the moral foundations necessary for a strong and stable state, stressing values such as love for God and country, justice, peace, unity, tolerance, and service to others.

“May our state independence be founded on love of God and homeland, on justice and peace, on unity and tolerance, and on service to one’s neighbor and to the common good of humanity”, he noted. “A strong state is built only when these virtues prevail in society and when people are united by shared national goals and spiritual and moral values”.