Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of All Georgia

DECR Communication service, 01.10.2026.

On the 30th of September 2026, as part of his trip to Georgia, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, and those accompanying him visited holy sites in the city of Tbilisi.

The guests fr om the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Sameba, built on the initiative of the late Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.

The DECR Chairman and his companions then proceeded to the ancient Sioni Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, wh ere Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, together with Metropolitan Nicholas of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo and Kars, concelebrating with Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the DECR, served a memorial litiya at the tomb of His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. The service was attended by the rector of Sioni Cathedral, Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze, and D. A. Olisov, Head of the Interests Section of the Russian Federation at the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation in Georgia. Metropolitan Anthony also venerated the holy relics kept in the cathedral: the wonderworking Cross of St Nino, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and the relics of St John of Manglisi.

The DECR Chairman, accompanied by Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni and Metropolitan Nicholas of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo and Kars, then visited the Russian Church of St Alexander Nevsky in Tbilisi, where he was warmly welcomed by its rector, Archpriest Bidzina Gunia. The members of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation venerated the tombs of the Venerable Zinovy, in schema Seraphim, Metropolitan of Tetritskaro, and his disciple, Schema-Archimandrite Vitaly (Sidorenko).

At the building of the Georgian Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk was received by the Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of All Georgia.

The meeting took place in a warm and cordial atmosphere. The Russian Orthodox Church was also represented by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Vladimir Alexandrov; and Priest Nikolai Vasin, Secretary to the DECR Chairman. The Georgian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Theodore of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti; Metropolitan Gerasimos of Zugdidi and Tsaishi; Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni; Bishop Vakhtang of Nikortsminda; Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze; and members of the Georgian Patriarchate staff, Archpriest Michael Botkoveli and Archpriest Andrey Dzhagmaidze.

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk conveyed to the Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church fraternal greetings and good wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. For his part, His Holiness Patriarch Shio thanked the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church for its visit, stressing the importance of the visit for strengthening inter-Church relations. The conversation addressed matters of fraternal cooperation between the two Churches, as well as issues of pan-Orthodox significance. The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts.

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Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III of All Georgia

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Department Chairman

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Patriarch

Department Chairman

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