“Over the last year, I have really matured spiritually. I many times went to confession, have been anointed, and most importantly, I had a lot of time and opportunity to pray,” says former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on social media.

“It’s an incredible Christmas holiday today. I am grateful to His Holiness for embracing Sandra and Nikoloz graciously and engaging in a lengthy conversation despite his tiredness.

I wish to respond to people who somehow related “spiritual reality” to jail. They missed the word “spiritual”. Over the last year, I truly matured spiritually; for the first time, I went to confession, got anointed, and, most significantly, had a lot of time and occasions to pray.”

The jailed ex-president also elaborated on the conditions of the imprisonment, saying: “the Ukrainian warriors’ key slogan is freedom or death, and freedom will triumph.”

“Merry Christmas to everyone,” says Mikheil Saakashvili.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II sent a letter to jailed ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili on Thursday, wishing him “divine intervention to strengthen your spiritual powers and allow you to encounter the other, spiritual reality.”