Georgian patriarch calls for “great reconciliation” with breakaway regions

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III has called for prayers for what he described as a “great reconciliation” with Abkhazians and Ossetians, saying the country’s reunification is a task that cannot be achieved through “human efforts alone”.

“We pray to the Lord to grant us the great grace of reconciliation with the Abkhazians and Ossetians, the reunification of our country and the return of refugees to their homes,” the patriarch said in a sermon during the Abkhazoba religious holiday on Saturday, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.

He said that over the decades since the conflicts, Georgian society had come to understand that political and diplomatic efforts alone are insufficient to achieve lasting peace.

“So many years have passed, and we have tried everything, but we are convinced of one thing: if there is no great strength and grace of God, it will not happen — as is the case with all great undertakings.”

Shio III stressed the importance of repentance, saying that in order to receive “God’s help”, “the people must strive to correct the vices and sins that exist within them”.

The patriarch also commemorated those killed in the conflicts and urged that a “fratricidal war” must never be repeated. He expressed hope for the restoration of brotherly relations between Georgians, Abkhazians and Ossetians.

“We pray to the Holy Spirit to come and dwell among us, to purify us, strengthen us, save our souls and grant us the great grace of reconciliation with our brothers — Abkhazians and Ossetians — the restoration of that brotherly love that existed between us for centuries. So that this terrible fratricidal war, the painful consequences of which we still endure, may never happen again. So that we may live in one large, peaceful and strong state,” he said.

The issue of Abkhazia remains not only symbolic but also practical for the Georgian Orthodox Church. Despite losing de facto control over church life in the region after the 1992–1993 war, the Georgian Orthodox Church continues to regard the Abkhazian diocese as part of its canonical territory. The full title of the Georgian patriarch still includes the designation Metropolitan of Tskhum-Abkhazia and Pitsunda.

The Abkhazoba feast was established by Shio III’s predecessor, Ilia II, who before becoming patriarch headed the Abkhazian diocese for more than a decade. The feast is linked to the feast day of Apostle Simon the Canaanite, who is traditionally regarded as the Christian evangeliser of Abkhazia.

News.Az