Georgia, May 20, 2025
Photo: sazu.ge
Tens of thousands of faithful Orthodox Christians filled the streets of Tbilisi and 10 other Georgian cities on Saturday, May 17, in honor of Family Purity Day.
The holiday was established by Pat. Ilia in 2014, and coincides with the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, which propagandizes in favor of immoral lifestyles. In his homily on Family Purity Day in 2019, the Patriarch explained that the celebration is not an act of aggression against anyone, but emerges from genuine concern for Georgia.
Photo: sazu.ge
The festivities in Tbilisi began with a paraklesis at the Kashveti Church of St. George, celebrated by the Patriarchal Locum Tenens His Eminence Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsqu, reports newsgeorgia.ge.
The Metropolitan called on the faithful to reflect on the concept of family and its importance. “This is the greatest value and treasure given by God to humanity,” he said, which is especially important today, when “there is a deliberate fight against the traditional family.”
Photo: sazu.ge
“The purpose of the Church is to save its members: we gather in the Mother Church to save our souls and help others in this. Similarly, in the family, in the small church, people gather to love each other and save their souls,” the Metropolitan continued.
“This is a space, dear brothers and sisters, of which St. John Chrysostom says that the Lord dwells in this spiritual space. This is a great school of love and self-sacrifice, where through prayer for each other, patience, bearing each other's burdens, we learn love, grow spiritually, and save our souls.”
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that the march is “a reflection of the fact that the Georgian people will firmly stand guard over traditional values until the end.”
The processions in all 11 cities were well attended, including by many families with young children.
Met. Shio. Photo: sazu.ge
The march in Tbilisi concluded with a moleben of thanksgiving at Holy Trinity Cathedral. There, Met. Shio preached again, this time addressing the great sin of abortion:
Abortion is a grave sin. It is the murder of a human being in the mother’s womb. Despite such an alarming situation, when a nation, a country does not take measures, it means that it is in a mode of self-destruction, and nothing good awaits it. By this, we are telling God that we do not want life…
Just as there are laws of physics, the violation of which necessarily causes great damage and even death, there are also spiritual laws; their violation causes spiritual damage, spiritual disorder, and spiritual death. A nation that kills its children cannot deserve great happiness, great victories, unification, and survival.
Photo: sazu.ge
Metropolitan Shio thus proposed a two-pronged solution to address abortion in Georgia: first raising awareness through educational programs in schools where specialists would explain the psychological, physiological, and spiritual harms of abortion to girls, and then implementing stricter legislation to regulate the issue.
He emphasized that both the Church and state must work together on social programs to help overcome this challenge and strengthen family values.
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