Patriarch Shio III: Christianity preserved our land, language and identity; holding fast to this path will ensure God’s grace protects Georgia

“I cordially congratulate you on today’s glorious feast day, Svetitskhovloba, commemorating the Holy Seamless Robe of the Lord and honouring the Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles, King Mirian and Queen Nana; great is our reason for joy and gratitude today, as Georgia marks the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity’s declaration as the state religion,” Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III stated this during his sermon at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

According to the Patriarch, Georgia’s history testifies that despite numerous trials and falls, the Georgian people have never strayed from Christ’s path.

“Today we reflect with particular depth on our past, present and future, on what force was and remains responsible for the survival of the Georgian nation through so many tempests. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ Georgia’s history demonstrates that despite countless trials, failings and sins, the Georgian people never strayed from Christ’s path. Through His grace and mercy, the Lord has always sustained and guided us along this way.

By Divine Providence, the history of our Church and nation began as early as the first century with the arrival of one of Christianity’s greatest relics: the Holy Robe, nurtured by the love of Christ. This was followed by our nation’s designation as the lot of the Most Holy Mother of God and the preaching of Christ’s Apostles: Andrew the First-Called, Simon the Zealot, Matthias, Bartholomew and Thaddeus. The continuation of this apostolic mission was borne by the Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles, Saint Nino, when, in the fourth century, by Divine Providence and the blessing of the Holy Virgin, she journeyed to our country and, through her preaching, brought the Georgian nation to the truth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Her conversion of King Mirian and Queen Nana crowned this spiritual choice by declaring Christianity the state religion, followed in the fifth century by the deeds of the Holy King Vakhtang Gorgasali and the granting of autocephaly to the Church of Georgia. It is symbolic that this great, pious king reposes in this very holy cathedral. Naturally, among these events, the arrival and enshrined presence of the Lord’s Holy Robe in Mtskheta, within Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, stands exceptionally paramount. According to the teachings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, the great third-century theologian and martyr, the Lord’s Robe is a symbol of divinely bestowed unity that cannot be torn apart by those who hold it. As he writes: ‘He cannot possess the garment of Christ who rends and divides the Church of Christ.’ This seamless robe is likewise a symbol of the unified Church and, consequently, of the Head of the Church—our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Our ancestors understood well that safeguarding the Robe was a profound divine blessing, bringing with it a God-given vocation to act as its guardians, which demands nurturing the unity of the Church and selflessly defending it. Indeed, possessing the Robe signifies spiritual fortitude and a readiness to receive and uphold the truth—qualities the Georgian people have powerfully demonstrated throughout their history. For us, the raising of Svetitskhoveli marked the dawn of a spiritual era and the anchoring of a new consciousness. Through the miracle of the divinely radiant and myrrh-streaming pillar, God’s providence, power, grace, and boundless mercy upon the Georgian nation were revealed,” stated Patriarch Shio III.

The Patriarch noted that Svetitskhoveli became one of the primary expressions of the Georgian nation’s faith, unity and national consciousness.

“Svetitskhoveli Cathedral united, in a sense, the spiritual heritage of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Robe, as a symbol of the Church’s unity and indivisibility, reposes here alongside the mantle of the Holy Prophet Elijah, one of the Old Testament’s greatest relics, brought to our land by Jewish settlers six centuries before Christ. Fidelity to these great holy relics and to Christ’s path ensured our nation’s survival. This is precisely what our great historical figures continuously reminded us of. As Saint Ilia the Righteous (Chavchavadze) wrote: ‘Georgia suffered and was crucified for Christ, wearing a crown of thorns, yet allowed no one to shake its true faith. Christianity preserved our land, our language, our identity, our nation, and has watched over us to this day.’ Therefore, we deeply believe that if we do not stray from this path, God’s grace, which has always sheltered Georgia from visible and invisible enemies, will continue to protect and shield us. May the Lord grant us strength to rightly fulfil this spiritual calling,” Shio III said.

Furthermore, Patriarch Shio III noted that Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II’s nearly half-century tenure represents a lifetime of tireless service, fatherly care, and prayer for the strengthening of the true faith and the nation’s spiritual rebirth.

“On this momentous day, we recall with particular love and gratitude the late-remembered Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. His nearly half-century ministry was a work of tireless service, paternal devotion and prayer to strengthen the true faith and spiritual rebirth of our nation. It is his grand labour that yielded the good fruit we witness today. Church, people and state authority celebrate together the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity’s declaration as the state religion in Georgia,” the Patriarch noted.

He explained that today also marks the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God, serving as a reminder that the Mother of God shields the nation from all adversity and life’s storms, and that in times of sorrow or trial, her protection should be sought.

“Once more, I congratulate you on this day. May God bless and strengthen you. Through the intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, and by the grace of the Lord’s Holy Robe and Svetitskhoveli, may God bless, strengthen and unify Georgia. May the Lord give strength unto His people; may the Lord bless His people with peace. Amen,” Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III concluded.