2017-07-23
"The Georgian Church has immense power used by our nation to survive and preserve its identity throughout centuries," the Prime Minister of Georgia stated in his speech at the opening ceremony of a new hotel in the village of Sno.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke of the Patriarch's exceptional merits and thanked the Catholicos-Patriarch for his contribution to the empowerment of Georgia's Apostolic Church.
"I remember well December 25, 1977, when I was privileged to attend the enthronization of His Holiness. I was 10 back then. Four decades later, I, as an ordinary Christian, would like to thank His Holiness for embracing, taking under his wing, and carrying our nation through times of trials and tribulations. The Church has a special meaning to our nation. The Orthodox Christian Faith is not confined to regional dimensions. Our statehood and our Church are as closely interwoven as St. Nino's cross bound together with her hair. This is why, although today the separation of state and church is officially observed, secularism, in its literal meaning, does not belong in Georgia. We believe that our nation features a unique model in the world, and I would like to thank our Patriarch, whose words are embraced so dearly by the whole nation, for strengthening this model," the Prime Minister stated.
Prime Minister's Press Office