Patriarch Shio III urges reconciliation while commemorating Sokhumi’s fall

Shio III, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, on Sunday called for love and mutual forgiveness as the path toward national reconciliation and unity while commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi and honouring the victims of the war in Abkhazia.

Shio III made the remarks during a sermon at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he led a memorial service for those who died in the conflict.

Members of the Government of Abkhazia attended the service, while crosses were distributed to those present with the Patriarch’s blessing.

“Today, we reflect on the Cross of the Lord, its meaning and power. May the strength and grace of the Life-Giving Cross be with us. When we venerate the Cross of the Saviour, first and foremost we venerate the work of this great sacrificial love. It was precisely this love and sacrifice that was fulfilled on the Cross”, Shio III said.

The Patriarch described the fall of Sokhumi as one of the most tragic events in Georgia’s recent history and recalled the heavy human toll of the war.

“We remember a sad and tragic event in our recent history. Thirty-three years have passed since the fall of Sokhumi. This terrible war claimed the lives of up to 30 000 people. I recall the words of the Catholicos-Patriarch that no one was victorious in that war”, he noted.

Shio III said reconciliation and national unity could only be achieved through forgiveness and love.

“If we want to carry this cross with dignity, if we want our nation to be reunited and survive, our path is love and mutual forgiveness”, he concluded.