The jubilee is being marked by large-scale ecclesiastical, state, and academic events, with the main proceedings taking place in the capital, Tbilisi, from October 12 to 15, attended by representatives from a number of local Orthodox churches.
Following a meeting with the Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III, representatives of the local Orthodox churches met with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze.
The celebrations began on October 11 with a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) in Tbilisi. Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church concelebrated the service, including Metropolitan Sergiy of Ternopil and Archbishop Iov of Shumsk.
That same day, an international symposium titled “God, Homeland, Man” was held, dedicated to Georgia’s Christian heritage and its significance for the country’s spiritual and cultural history. The opening ceremony was attended by Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III, President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. The academic program featured presentations examining various aspects of the history and traditions of Georgian Christianity. In his opening address at the symposium, Georgian Patriarch Shio III called for peace and reconciliation with the populations of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), expressing hope that, with God’s help, fraternal unity and love would be restored. He also addressed Georgians living abroad, thanking them for preserving their Orthodox faith and their ties to the homeland.
On October 12, the Georgian Patriarch received representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Alexandria and Antioch, and the Orthodox Churches of Cyprus, Greece, Poland, and Ukraine. Among the guests were Metropolitan Bessarion of Spain and Portugal and Metropolitan Irenaeus of Florina and Prespa (Ecumenical Patriarchate); Bishop Damaskinos of Mareotis (Patriarchate of Alexandria); Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis (Patriarchate of Antioch); Metropolitan Nektarios of Kition (Church of Cyprus); Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho (Church of Greece); and Bishop Andrzej of Supraśl (Polish Orthodox Church). The guests served a *trisagion* for the repose of the soul of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. The Georgian Patriarchate announces that on October 14, starting at 10:00 a.m., Patriarch Shio III, together with members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, will celebrate a solemn Divine Liturgy at the Svetitskhoveli Patriarchal Cathedral in Mtskheta. Delegations from local Orthodox churches and foreign guests who have arrived for the jubilee will attend the service. The program continues with religious services, academic conferences, and cultural events dedicated to Georgia’s seventeen-century Christian history and the spiritual bonds between Orthodox nations.
The jubilee celebrations are dedicated to the Christianization of the ancient Georgian Kingdom of Iberia in the 4th century—an event associated with the preaching of St. Nino, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and the adoption of Christianity by King Mirian and Queen Nana. According to the chronology adopted by the organizers, this historic event dates back to the year 326.
