With the blessing of His Holiness
and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the
23rd of May, the Day of Commemoration of Saint Simon the Canaanite,
has been established as the Day of Apkhazeti or “Apkhazetoba”. In
connection with this celebration, His Eminence Shio (Mujiri), Locum
Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and Metropolitan of Senaki and
Chkhorotsqu, offered Akathist at Sioni Cathedral Church. His
concelebrants were His Eminence Andrew (Gvazava), Metropolitan of
Gori and Ateni, His Grace Grigol (Katsia), Bishop of Tsalka, Rector
of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary Protopresbyter Giorgi
Zviadadze, Head of the Public Relations Office of the Patriarchate
of Georgia, Archpriest Andrew Jaghmaidze, Vice-Rector of Tbilisi
Theological Academy and Seminary Besarion Tsintsadze and the Clergy
of Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.
The representatives of the
Authorities of Georgia – Mr. Ruslan Abashidze, Chairman of the
Government of the Autonomous Republic of Apkhazeti, Mr. Jemal
Gamakharia, Chairman of the Supreme Council and other
representatives of the Government of Apkhazeti attended the
celebration. The professors, teachers and students of Tbilisi
Theological Academy and Seminary and the members of the community
of our Church also attended it.
His Eminence Shio (Mujiri), Locum
Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and Metropolitan of Senaki and
Chkhorotsqu concluded the celebration with his congratulation on
the Day of “Apkhazetoba”, conveying the blessing of the
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. In addition, he gave a sermon,
in which he stressed forgiveness and the indispensability of
restoration of the warm relationships, which Georgians and Apkhaz
people had throughout centuries.