Papuashvili: Our sacred duty is to guard ancestral values that form bedrock of European civilisation

“Our primary duty is to cherish and stand guard over the values that our faith and ancestors have handed down to us over the centuries, values born of this faith which today form the very foundation of European civilisation,” declared the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, in Zugdidi.

Papuashvili attended the festive liturgy at the Zugdidi Cathedral of the Iveria Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

“I congratulate Zugdidi, Samegrelo, and the whole of Georgia on this immense feast day of Vlakernoba. Georgia is an exceptional nation because we have been granted the supreme honour of being the custodians of the Robe of the Lord and the Robe of the Virgin Mary. Along with great honour comes great responsibility to stand guard over the Christian faith and Christian values. Our primary duty is to cherish and stand guard over the values that our faith and ancestors have handed down to us over the centuries; values born of this faith which today form the foundation of European civilisation.

I am delighted that today, alongside my colleagues, members of parliament, I had the opportunity to attend the festive liturgy at Zugdidi Cathedral, which the Catholicos-Patriarch celebrated. The atmosphere in Zugdidi today, and indeed during the service, shared with foreign guests, clergy, and laypeople alike, re-emphasises the profound significance for our country as we commemorate 1,700 years since Christianity was declared the state religion in Georgia. This year is exceptional, urging us to fully embrace the responsibility we carry as a state and nation entrusted with guarding the Robe of the Lord and the Robe of the Virgin Mary,” Papuashvili stated.