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The 1400th anniversary of the monastery of Ivar (Holy Cross) and the 30th anniversary of the Enthronement of His Beatitude, the Patriarch of the Church of Georgia, Ilia II was celebrated in Tbilis, Georgia on the 12th through the16th of October 2007.
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Representatives from orthodox churches throughout the world took part, as well as His Eminence, (ο Παναγιοτατος), Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The representatives of the Orthodox Church of Albania were the Metropolitan of Berati, His Grace Ignatios and Mr. Jorgo Papadhopulli, professor at the Theological Academy in St. Vlasios.
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During the official reception that was conducted by Patriarch Ilia II, His Grace Ignatios delivered his greetings and said, “Your Beatitude, we heartily thank you for the invitation made to us by his Eminence to celebrate together within this illuminating, ancient and sisterly Church of Georgia, which was founded by the holy Apostle Andrew, the First-Called, in the first century and which was strengthened later during the fourth century by St. Nina of Capadocia who was equal to the Apostles.”
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“This is a remarkable day for the 1400th anniversary celebration of the monastery of Ivar which has radiated the ongoing light of faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, as a spiritual lantern of orthodoxy.
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Many bright, educated and virtuous people came from this monastery. Being inspired from the Life-giving cross of our Lord, which is a symbol of victory, they developed and cultivated the monastic and ascetic ideal among your faithful people. In this jubilee, we also celebrate a special event related to Your Beatitude.
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It is thirty years now since your enthronement through God’s grace as a shepherd for these God-chosen people. This position is not only “a position of the forefathers” but also a continuation of their ministry. As a worthy descendant and follower of the Apostles’ ministry, you make use of your wisdom, apostolic zeal, spirit of sacrifice and your self-denial to become “a canon of faith and mildness.”
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We convey to you also the wishes of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, the holy hierarch brothers, the clergy and faithful people of Albania and we pray to All-Mighty God to grant you health and many years so you may continue your productive work. May God grant you many years to continue your work in deepening the Georgian peoples’ faith and to follow the steps of pure orthodoxy whose fruits are the nourishment of the monastic ideal, the reconstruction of the holy Churches, the education of the youth, the cultivation of clerical gifts in order to have worthy shepherds in the future who will carry on the spiritual endeavour of our Lord Jesus Christ for the illumination of the holy Church and the glorification of the Trinitarian God.”
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On Saturday morning, October 13th, people gathered in the Church of the monastery of Ivar where His Eminence, The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II, conducted a Doxology which marked the starting point of the 1400th anniversary celebration feast of the monastery as well as the 30th anniversary of his enthronement as a Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Georgia.
Also, on Saturday, we visited the National Arts Museum and learned of the ancient history of the Georgian people as well as their ancient roots in Christianity.
The afternoon was spent in the Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity in Tbilis, and will remain an unforgettable experience for everyone. Thousands of people gathered inside and outside of the Cathedral – which is considered to be one of the biggest orthodox cathedrals ever built in modern times. Many choirs, composed mainly of male students from the Theological Academy of Tbilis, made the atmosphere more beautiful and spiritual. One could easily see the faithfulness of the people and especially the youth. We were most impressed and gratified to see their deep respect for the clergy. The faithful would wait several hours in long queues to receive the blessing of the Patriarch and the other hierarchs of the Church.
On October 14th, the two patriarchs and all the priests of the sister churches conducted the Divine Liturgy which took place in the Svetiskoveli Cathedral. A speech from the President of Georgia after the service made a positive impression on everyone. Also other distinguished government officials were present at the liturgy and they praised the Patriarch of Georgia for his pastoral ministry within the Church.
The Ecumenical Patriarch and the delegates from the Orthodox Churches were impressed by the monastery of St. Nina which was built on a hill. All the representatives of the Orthodox Churches assisted in the event of granting the degree “Prize of Academic Honour” to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew by the Academy of Science Georgia.
We left Georgia with much gratitude for the hospitality, respect and especially the faithfulness of the Georgian Orthodox.
The representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
Translated by: Juliana Pici
Edited by: Melany Linderman
