With the blessing of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bitchvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, on May 30, 2025, an international scientific conference has been solemnly opened in St. Queen Tamar Hall of Tbilisi City Municipal Council. The theme of the conference, dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, is “The Question of Primacy and Synodality and the First Ecumenical Council”. Organized by the Patriarchate of Georgia and Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, the conference is supported by Tbilisi Municipal Council.
The international scientific conference was opened with the welcome speech given by the Rector of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Doctor of Theology, Philology and Political Sciences, Professor, Protosyngellos of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, Giorgi Zviadadze. The Rector extended his heartfelt gratitude towards Mr. Shalva Papuashvili, the Secretary of the Parliament of Georgia, and Mr. Gia Volski, the First Deputy Secretary of the Parliament of Georgia, for their participation in the ceremonial session. He expressed his gratitude and deepest respect for Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, whose cooperation and personal support made it possible to publish the Georgian edition of the “Multilingual Bible” [Biblia Polyglotta], a monument of great importance not only from an ecclesiastical but also from a national point of view.
Father Giorgi noted that work on this unique monument, edited by the Assistant Rector of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary for Theological Sciences, Doctor of Philology, Doctor of Theology, Academician of the Gelati Academy of Sciences, Professor Edisher Chelidze, started during the incumbency of Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the former Prime Minister of Georgia, later it continued during the incumbency of Mr. Irakli Gharibashvili, his successor, and it is being successfully carried out today with the support of the current Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze.
Protosyngellos Giorgi Zviadadze expressed his gratitude toward Mr. Mikheil Chkhenkeli and his successor, Mr. Giorgi Amilakhvari, former Ministers of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, and toward Mr. Aleksandre Tsuladze, the current holder of the post, for their special aid in the accomplishment of this important publication.
In addition, Protosyngellos Giorgi Zviadadze expressed his special gratitude towards: the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Georgia; representatives of the legislative and executive authorities; Ms. Ana Bagrationi, a representative of the Royal House of the Bagrationis; Mr. Zurab Abashidze, Chairman of Tbilisi Municipal Council; Mr. Giorgi Tkemaladze, Vice Mayor of Tbilisi; Mr. Roin Metreveli, President of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences; academicians; Georgian and foreign scientists participating in the conference; clergy; representatives of scientific circles and those of cultural fields; rectors of institutions of higher education; the doyen of the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia, His Excellency, Titular Archbishop of Cissa, Nuncio of the Holy See Ante Jozić; members of the Academic Council of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary; professors and teachers. He stated that their participation in the event was an expression of their greatest respect for the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, the Holy Church and Patriarchate of Georgia.
Protosyngellos Giorgi Zviadadze spoke about the scientific, theological and, in general, Christian significance of the conference. “This year, the entire Christian world commemorates in a special way the Council of Nicaea, which was held in 325 and became a crucial point in the history of the Church. Synodality is the foundation of the Holy Church,” he noted.
The following persons addressed the audience with their welcome speeches: His Eminence, Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze) of Manglisi and Tetritskaro; Mr. Shalva Papuashvili, Secretary of the Parliament of Georgia; Mr. Zurab Abashidze, Chairman of Tbilisi Municipal Council; Mr. Giorgi Tkemaladze, Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi; Mr. Roin Metreveli, President of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Academician; His Eminence, Titular Archbishop of Cissa, Nuncio of the Holy See, Ante Jozić; Priest Jákó Örs Fehérváry, Rector of the Sapientia University of Budapest, Professor; Mr. Alexandros Katsiaras, Editor of the official journal of the Orthodox Church of Greece “Theologia”.
Each of the speakers expressed his greatest love, respect and gratitude towards the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, and thanked the Patriarchate of Georgia, Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, and personally its Rector, Protosyngellos Giorgi Zviadadze, for having organized a large-scale and representative international conference for the worthy celebration of the important event that took place in Nicaea 1700 years ago.
At the end of the ceremonial session, the Rector of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Protosyngellos Giorgi Zviadadze once again expressed his special thankfulness to the Georgian and foreign scholars participating in the international conference and the attending public; he thanked the interpreters, Ms. Ekaterine Khundadze, Ms. Lali Kereselidze and Ms. Tamar Neparidze, for providing simultaneous interpretation at a high academic level.
The participants of the event were the Patriarchal Choir of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, directed by Doctor of Art History and Theory, Mr. Svimon Jangulashvili and the Choir of Tbilisi Theological Seminary, directed by Mr. Lasha Zaalishvili.
The international scientific conference – “The Question of Primacy and Synodality and the First Ecumenical Council” - will last for two days in St. Queen Tamar Hall of Tbilisi City Council. A working session is planned for the following day, May 31.
The working languages of the conference are Georgian and English.
