Pilgrimage exile of Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria in Georgiatranslated

From September 28 to October 4, 2026, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary, Mr. Arsenios, together with the Theophilist Auxiliary Bishop Aristis, Mr. Maximos, made a pilgrimage to Georgia with a group of pilgrims, which was organized by Archimandrite Bartholomeus Ungureanu. The group of pilgrims was warmly welcomed by His Beatitude Catholicos and Patriarch of Georgia Mr. Sio III, with whom the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary Mr. Arsenios had a meeting.

The pilgrims had the opportunity to get to know up close the spiritual heritage of one of the oldest Christian countries. According to Georgian tradition, the Mother of God instructed the Apostle Andrew the Protokletos to preach Christianity in Georgia, while Georgian sources also mention the preaching of the Apostles Simon the Cananite and Bartholomew; that is why the country is considered the Virgin Mary's flock. Christianity became the official religion of the kingdom of Kartli before 337, thanks to the preaching of the missionary...