Ecumenical Patriarchate reaffirms commitment to Georgian Orthodox Church ahead of Patriarch Shio III’s Constantinople visit

His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Shio III on Sunday hosted the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of Chalcedon, discussing the continuation and strengthening of the fraternal relations between the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople and Georgia.

The meeting was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Metropolitan Emmanuel conveyed the fraternal greetings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, congratulated Shio III on his enthronement as Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and thanked him for the cordial reception.

The discussions focused on continuing and strengthening the longstanding fraternal relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Georgian Orthodox Church. Participants also recalled the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and the visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Georgia on that occasion. Patriarch Shio III once again expressed gratitude for the Patriarch’s visit and support during a difficult period for the Georgian Church.

Welcoming the guest, Shio III described the meeting as both an official and friendly encounter, noting that it was their first face-to-face meeting since his enthronement.

“I would like to take this opportunity to ask that you convey our request to His All-Holiness to remember us in his holy prayers”, Shio III said. “We greatly appreciate the warm and elevated attitude that His All-Holiness and you personally have shown toward the memory and legacy of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II”.

The Patriarch also praised Bartholomew’s address at Ilia II’s funeral, describing it as a speech filled with “brotherly warmth, love, gratitude, and respect”.

Reflecting on the transition following the death of Ilia II, Shio III said the months that followed had been difficult for the Church but expressed gratitude for what he described as God’s guidance in his election as Catholicos-Patriarch. He also recalled the congratulatory message sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch following his election.

For his part, Metropolitan Emmanuel emphasized the close ties between the two Churches and described them as part of the legacy left by Ilia II.

“We view your election as Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia as a very positive development”, Emmanuel said. “It will serve as a foundation for the continuation of the longstanding relationship that has existed between our two Churches for decades”.

The Metropolitan also delivered a message from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, saying that the Patriarch looks forward to welcoming Shio III and strongly supports the continuation of relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

A significant part of the meeting was devoted to discussions regarding Patriarch Shio III’s upcoming visit to Constantinople.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Shio III presented gifts to Metropolitan Emmanuel and also handed over a gift intended for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.