The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, His Holiness and Beatitude Shio III, is conducting his first festive liturgy at the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral (Sameba) in Tbilisi.

The first exaltation in Greek was performed by a representative of the Church of Constantinople.

The liturgy is attended by delegations from various local churches who arrived in connection with the Patriarch’s enthronement, as well as other guests and members of the clergy and monastic community of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

At the same time, a traditional procession will begin at 11:00 a.m. from Kashveti Church of Saint George the Great Martyr to the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral. The procession will include parish communities and their clergy, as well as Sunday schools from both the Mtskheta-Tbilisi Diocese and other dioceses of the Georgian Orthodox Church. At Sameba Cathedral, the faithful arriving with the prayer procession will receive a blessing from the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

May 17 was established as Family Purity Day in 2014 at the initiative of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.