Shio III Delivers First Sermon as Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church
Patriarch Shio III spoke, among others, on the role and responsibility of the Church amid modern-day challenges, calling for “throwing open the doors of the Church to everyone,” in his first sermon after his enthronement on May 12 at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, a town outside Tbilisi.
The sermon was delivered at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, with senior clergy and political leaders from the ruling Georgian Dream party in attendance. It concluded the enthronement ceremony, which itself came a day after Shio’s election by the Holy Synod as Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, succeeding the late Ilia II, who died at the age of 93 in March. In the sermon, Patriarch Shio III also paid tribute to Ilia II, pledging to continue his path of service to “God, the homeland, and humanity.”
Before beginning his remarks, the patriarch briefly asked whether “Mr. Bidzina,” referring to Georgian Dream founder and Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who attended the enthronement, was still in the cathedral, speaking loudly into a microphone that was still on, footage of which later went viral. He was apparently informed that Ivanishvili had already left, and began by greeting other Georgian Dream officials still in the cathedral.
At the start of the sermon, Patriarch Shio III spoke of St. Andrew, who is regarded as the first to preach Christianity in Georgia in the 1st century, and whose arrival in the country is marked on May 12, saying, “Through the living word of the Lord, the Georgian people have found their true face and authentic nature. For centuries, they have struggled, fought, and been torn apart, yet the country still comes together as one. It loses its cherished children, yet reborns again. It falls and rises again.”
“Modern life confronts us with new challenges,” the patriarch said, adding, “People’s hearts have grown alienated and cold. Countless temptations are replacing faith, moral values, family, and loved ones.”
“Therefore, the burden of shepherding the Church is doubly heavy. It is difficult, like the faithful and wise servant, to confront the challenges of this world with dignity, but even greater effort and labor are necessary to preach faith in Christ and to bring his living word into people’s hearts,” he said.
He continued, “Therefore, we must equally share in the people’s joy and pain, serve them, and support them, because the strength of the Church lies not only in words. Its calling, given by Christ, is in love and in bearing one another’s burdens. We must throw open the doors of the Church to everyone. Let us not wait for our neighbor to come only as far as the church pulpit. We should also reach out to our spiritual children beyond the church, those who, perhaps like the prodigal son, do not dare to come to us. It is precisely through this service that our soul is tempered.”
Shio III then spoke about the youth and the future generations, saying, “The future of our country and our children is our future. They watch us every day, listen to us, learn from us, and often choose different paths in life, yet they remain our children. They are the ones who most need our love, care, and support. In them must be strengthened faith in Christ, national values, respect for traditions, and a sense of responsibility before the nation and the Church. This is, again and again, our task.”
He continued, “We must live and work in such a way as to become a worthy example for them, so that in the future our country will have unified, faithful citizens, filled with love for God and neighbor,” adding, “It is essential that education, public life, and daily activity be based not only on formal knowledge, but also on the spiritual and moral values of Christ.”
Paying tribute to his predecessors, Shio III said he bowed “with filial love” before the legacy of previous Catholicos-Patriarchs and spoke particularly of the “thorny and difficult” pastoral path of Ilia II.
“At this moment, I feel especially deeply how thorny and difficult the pastoral path of our great spiritual father, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, was,” he said, adding, “As obedient and loving children, it is our duty to safeguard his spiritual legacy and continue his path, the path of service to God, the homeland, and human. Let us work faithfully for the strengthening of the Church and faith, for the increase of love among the people, and for the establishment of unity and peace.”
“It is impossible to discern the Lord’s will and providence and to find an answer to the question of why God allowed it, why He granted me such a great grace and burden of service,” the patriarch said, adding, “Yet I am aware of its honor, its greatness, and its weight.”
Expressing gratitude to the saints, members of the Holy Synod, and the people and parish, Patriarch Shio III called on the people in the cathedral, “I ask you to pray for me, to pray for the future of our Church, because your prayers will give me the strength to serve the Orthodox Church and the God-blessed Georgian nation with faithfulness and humility.”
“May we, strengthened by love and faith, glorify the Lord in unity and be one flock and one shepherd. Amen,” he concluded.
Also Read:
- 13/05/2026 – Congratulations Pour In as Shio III Becomes New Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church
- 01/04/2026 – Who May Succeed Patriarch Ilia II, And How Could It (Re-)Define Georgian Orthodox Church
- 22/03/2026 – Obituary | Ilia II – The Man Who Reinvented the Church