“Today all sorrow must be erased; all anxiety and passion must subside; bloodshed and war must cease; the ranks of adversaries must fall silent; hopelessness, envy, and malice must vanish; and our mind, soul, and heart, inspired by love for God, like a lit candle, must spiritually set out toward the Holy Land,” the Patriarch says in his Christmas Epistle.

In the epistle, Ilia II appeals: “Grant peace to the world.”

“Rejoice in Christ’s Gospel, chosen Orthodox people, filled with heavenly grace and the Lord’s mercy; flock inspired by life-giving faith, hope, and the desire to inherit the Kingdom - once again I congratulate you on the radiant manifestation of heaven and earth: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today all sorrow must be wiped away; all anxiety and passion must subside; bloodshed and war must cease; the ranks of adversaries must fall silent; hopelessness, envy, and malice must vanish. And our mind, soul, and heart, inspired by love for God, like a lit candle, must spiritually set out toward the Holy Land, so that together with the Magi from the East and the shepherds in Bethlehem, we may join the choir of angels and joyfully proclaim: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among people.’

On this mystical night, I especially beseech You - O Child born in Bethlehem for our salvation, Most Holy Theotokos, heavenly hosts, and all saints of God - bless us and bless all of Georgia: those who dwell within it and our compatriots living beyond its borders. Grant peace to the world; remove from us the burden of our fallen nature; bless us all with unity and the gift of true love, and make us all partakers of God,” the epistle reads.