2017-03-24
Today Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended an event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Christian Church. The Head of Government congratulated the audience and all of Georgia on the restoration anniversary and emphasized the importance of this date. According to Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the restoration of autocephaly played the decisive role in the nation's mentality, followed by the declaration of Georgia's independence a year later.
"Historical justice was restored that day as we reclaimed out Mother Church in whose bosom our ancestors and spiritual fathers have preserved our cherished faith throughout centuries. They have handed down the very values that cement our nation and our state. The Church has encapsulated the spiritual nourishment of the Georgian nation, our spiritual treasures, preserving and protecting which from imperialistic shackles has been made possible only through selfless struggle. Our country has been in dire straits many times, and it is the Church and clergymen who have played a special role and had their say to protect the interests of the people and the country. In this regard, special is the merit of His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All-Georgia Ilia II, our spiritual father, who has been leading the Georgian Orthodox Christian Church for forty years, and whose service to our homeland includes the international reaffirmation of the autocephaly of our Orthodox Christian Church in 1990. Today the State and the Church strengthen each other. Georgia is a modern European country today, where the relations between the Church and the State are regulated based on a constitutional agreement," the Prime Minister stated.
According to the Prime Minister, 2017 is a special year in that it marks the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Apostolic Church, and the 40th anniversary of the enthronization and the 85th birth anniversary of the Patriarch. By the joint decision of the Government of Georgia and the Orthodox Christian Church of Georgia, the Prime Minister said, important events will be dedicated to these anniversary celebrations, including the International Peace Forum to bring together representatives of different countries and confessions, political leaders, and prominent representatives of the academic community and culture.
The event at the Parliament of Georgia was attended by His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All-Georgia Ilia II, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, members of the Georgian Government and Parliament, diplomats, members of the Holy Synod, and representatives of different confessions.
Prime Minister's Press Office