Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Shio III received a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on October 1, a day after a similar visit from Moscow’s Patriarchate, the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service reported, with the two sides discussing relations between their churches.
The service said the delegation included Metropolitan Arsenios (Kardamakis) of Austria, Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe, as well as Chorbishop Maximos, with the delegation accompanied by 50 pilgrims planning to visit the holy sites across Georgia.
“The sides discussed relations between the churches and the assistance Metropolitan Arsenios provides to the Georgian parish in Austria, for which the head of the Georgian Church and other participants in the meeting thanked him,” the Patriarchate said.
At the end of the meeting, the sides “exchanged gifts,” while the visiting delegation thanked Shio III “for the warm reception,” the Patriarchate said.
On the Georgian side, the meeting was attended by Metropolitan Theodore (Chuadze) of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti, chorepiscopus of the Catholicos-Patriarch; Metropolitan Gerasime (Sharashenidze) of Zugdidi and Tsaishi, head of the Patriarchate’s Foreign Affairs Department; Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze; Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Department; and Archpriest Archil Khachidze, deputy head of its Foreign Affairs Department.
The meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarchate delegation came a day after Shio III received a delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Reports have indicated that Shio III is preparing for a visit to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul. He has also discussed the prospective visit with representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Shio III was enthroned as Patriarch of Georgia on May 12, a day after his election to succeed Ilia II, who died at age 93 in March after nearly half a century at the helm of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
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