Patriarch Shio III highlights Christianity’s role in Georgia’s 1,700-year legacy

Patriarch Shio III of the Georgian Orthodox Church addressed the international conference “Foundations of European Civilization and 1,700 Years of Christianity in Georgia” in Tbilisi on Oct. 2, marking the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity’s declaration as the state religion.

The gathering, attended by President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili and representatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, highlighted the faith’s lasting influence on Georgia’s national, cultural and spiritual identity.

“Christianity became a determining factor not only in the spiritual life of individuals, but also in the cultural and social thought of the entire country,” Patriarch Shio said.

He recalled the early adoption of Christianity by Georgia’s ancestors seventeen centuries ago, noting the tradition of the Lord’s Robe, the special veneration of the Theotokos, and the missionary work of St. Nino that shaped Georgian literature, art, education and language.

President Kavelashvili echoed the Patriarch, describing the faith as a defining moment that helped Georgia preserve its language and historical memory through centuries of foreign invasion, and emphasizing the country’s contribution to European civilization from the ancient Colchian Academy to medieval centers such as Gelati.

Both speakers stressed the contemporary relevance of Christian moral values—love for God and neighbor, mercy, justice and tolerance—amid wars, division and other pressures that threaten faith and social cohesion.

Concluding his remarks, Patriarch Shio called for continued dialogue among the Church, state institutions and civil society, urging that the family remain the cornerstone of morality and national unity as the conference seeks to reaffirm Georgia’s place in European history.