Tbilisi, December 26, 2024
Photo: novayagazeta.ru
The Georgian Orthodox Church celebrated the 47th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Ilia II as Catholicos-Patriarch yesterday.
Pat. Ilia was installed as head of the Georgian Church on December 25, 1977, and there has been a great revival of Orthodoxy under his care.
At the time of his enthronement, there were 15 dioceses and only 30 active churches left thanks to communist persecutions. Today there are 47 dioceses and about 2,000 active parishes, as well as about 3,000 clergy.
The Patriarch is also the most beloved and trusted man in the nation, and today he is the Godfather to more than 48,000 Georgian children.
The Divine Liturgy for the anniversary yesterday was celebrated by the Locum Tenens of the Georgian Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsqu, with other Georgian hierarchs and clergy.
During the service, the Metropolitan read a congratulatory address on behalf of the Georgian Holy Synod:
Your Holiness and Beatitude!
Today is a memorable and joyous day for all of Georgia. We celebrate the 47th anniversary of your enthronement on the Catholicos-Patriarch’s throne.
I have the honor, on behalf of the Holy Synod of the Apostolic Church of Georgia, to cordially congratulate you on this significant date.
On December 25, 1977, with your enthronement in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Svetitskhoveli, a new epoch began for our Church and country. This was a period when Georgia faced great challenges and extremely difficult decades lay ahead, so the head of the Church needed to show extraordinary patience, wisdom, mercy, and love. We thank the Lord that in you He sent us a spiritual leader with exactly such qualities; we thank the Lord that He exalted His chosen one from His people (cf. Ps. 88:20).
In the speech you delivered from the ambon on that historic day, you noted that you bow before the Georgian Church and the Georgian people, whom your strength and mind must serve with hope. For 47 years since then, you have worthily carried the heaviest cross of the Patriarchate and throughout all these years have preached the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him (Acts 28:31).
“When I look at my past, I see that it was daily martyrdom and it is still so today; without God’s grace and help, and your love and support, I could not bear this cross,” you note.
Your martyric ministry, which you speak of, is for us a guide to spiritual life and a bright example of self-sacrifice and love. Your service to God, homeland, and humanity inspires us to become better, gives us a clear example of how we should love God and His highest creation, humanity; how we should selflessly serve our homeland and how tenderly we should care for one another.
Your special concern has always been establishing peace and unity in your flock, thereby fulfilling St. Paul the Apostle’s call: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). “Unity today is of vital importance for our country. The devil divides and opposes, but God unites and reconciles... Only in unity is our salvation,” you said, and we believe that if we, your flock, embrace the example of your ministry, just as in the past, through your prayers and spiritual leadership, the Lord will enable us today to overcome the difficult challenges facing our country. Also, we remember your comforting words:
“I believe that soon the time will come when Georgia will be unified, when we will celebrate Georgia’s unity in Abkhazia, in Samachablo, when we will see a unified Georgia and a united nation.”
Your Holiness and Beatitude, on this festive day, with great love we thank you for your great work, paternal care, and the great comfort that gives us spiritual strength and determination. The Georgian nation is blessed to have such a spiritual leader as you. We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Mother of God to strengthen you spiritually and physically, grant you health and longevity! May God grant peace and unification to Georgia through your prayers and leadership! Amen!
God is with us!
The anniversary was also marked at the Patriarchate’s Youth Center, featuring a performance from a children’s choir.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
