WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2022) The Russian and Georgian Orthodox churches should show the governments of their countries how to improve relations in the spirit of love, Georgian Metropolitan Nikoloz (Pachuashvili) of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdo told Sputnik.
"Despite all difficulties between our countries, we are all brothers, we are all Orthodox Christians. And we have to show our governments the right relationship and how they should develop. We are trying to do this," Nikoloz said.
The Metropolitan noted that Russia and Georgia do not have diplomatic relations since 2008 and this situation creates difficulties in communicating on a practical level.
"Of course, our church is trying to improve the situation, but sometimes it is related to even technical issues on how the Russians can visit us or how we can visit Russia. Both, our church and the Russian church, have to take that into account," he said.
Nikoloz called for establishing the right priorities by always remembering the church is one of Christ, not of a government.
"We should put Christ in the central place in the church. I am urging everyone, all Christians, and myself first of all, to do that," he said.
Nikoloz acknowledged that sometimes it is very difficult to proceed in this manner because the current conditions and situations put people ahead of challenges, but expressed confidence that if Christ is placed first then everything will be good "because Christ is Love."
Nikoloz also noted that the Georgian Orthodox Church will invite to Georgia one of the major relics of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) - the myrrh-streaming miraculous Hawaiian Iveron icon of the Mother of God.
"The icon visited us several years ago and now we are going to invite it, most likely in February, when we will organize the conference about Georgia as a land of the Mother of God," Nikoloz said.
The Metropolitan said he is visiting the United States to participate at the conference at� ROCOR's Holy Trinity monastery in the town of Jordanville, New York.
"The conference is dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the myrrh-streaming of the Montreal Iveron icon of the Mother of God, 25th anniversary of martyrdom of its custodian brother Joseph Munoz-Cortez and the 25 years of myrrh-streaming of the Hawaiian icon," Nikoloz added.
