His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a warm congratulatory message to His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III, wishing him a long, blessed, and fruitful primacy, according to a statement released by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

“Your Holiness and Beatitude, with great joy we received, both personally and together with all those serving at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the glad news of Your Beatitude’s worthy election to the ancient and renowned Patriarchal Throne of All Georgia, following the recently departed and ever-memorable Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, who rendered a luminous and historic service to the venerable Church of Georgia and to Orthodoxy as a whole.

With brotherly love, we congratulate you, Your Beatitude! We pray that you may be granted a long, blessed, and fruitful primacy for the glory of God, for the benefit of your faithful flock, for the peace and stability of the Georgian nation, and also for harmonious cooperation with us and the other primates of the Orthodox Churches, in the service of Orthodox unity, cooperation, and common witness before the world,” the letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch states.