Delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate Visits the Patriarchate of Georgia

A delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate visited the Patriarchate of Georgia. The guests were received by His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Shio III.

According to the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service, the delegation present at the Patriarchal residence included Metropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk) of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Priest Nikolai Vasin, Assistant to the Chairman of the same department; and Vladimir Alexandrov, Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate in Georgia. The guests congratulated the head of the Georgian Church on his enthronement as Patriarch and personally conveyed the congratulations of the Patriarch of Russia. They thanked the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia for the audience.

The meeting was attended by: Metropolitan Theodore (Chuadze) of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti (Chorepiscopus to the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia); Metropolitan Gerasime (Sharashenidze) of Zugdidi and Tsaishi; Metropolitan Andria (Gvazava) of Gori and Ateni; Bishop Vakhtang (Liparteliani) of Nikortsminda; Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze of the Georgian Orthodox Church; Archpriest Mikheil Botkoveli, Secretary to the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia; and Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, Head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service.

During the meeting, the parties discussed relations between the countries. Attention focused on the situation in the troubled regions and on what could be done to find ways for the Georgian Orthodox Church to establish contact with the local congregation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties exchanged symbolic gif