DECR chairman congratulates Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku on his election as Primate of Georgian Orthodox Church

DECR Communication Service, 11/05/2026

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, sent congratulations to Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Catholicos-Patriarch Elect of All Georgia. The message reads:

Your Eminence, dear Vladyka,

Christ Is Risen!

Please accept my warmest congratulations on your election to the ancient Throne of Their Holinesses and Beatitudes the Catholicoi-Patriarchs of All Georgia.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His wise providence for His Church, has placed on your shoulders a heavy cross of Patriarchal ministry, having entrusted to you the future of Orthodoxy in the blessed land of ancient Iberia. The archpastors of the Georgian Orthodox Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, have seen in you a worthy successor to His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of blessed memory, a continuator of his work who will honour his wise words of guidance and a faithful minister of Christ (Col 1:7). Following your late predecessor, you have taken on the responsibility of ensuring that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified (2 Thess 3:1) in Georgia, that the unity of the holy Churches of God be preserved and strengthened, with sacred canons as its unshakeable foundation. It is gratifying to us that a part of your life is associated with Moscow where you received theological education and served as pastor, taking spiritual care of the local Georgian community. It is our sincere hope that the years of your Patriarchal service will see further development and strengthening of the traditionally fraternal relations between our two Churches, which have stood the test of time, remaining good and trust-based under quite different, at times unfavourable political circumstances.

I pray that the Merciful God may always strengthen you in your lofty Primatial service and help us all to preserve intact the bonds of spiritual unity between our two sisterly Churches and the peoples under their omophorion professing the same faith.

With respectful love in Christ,

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate

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DECR chairman congratulates Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku on his election as Primate of Georgian Orthodox Church

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