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The Patriarch of Georgia met with the Ambassador of France to Georgia

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 2, two consecutive meetings were held at the Patriarchate of Georgia between Patriarch Shio III, the Ambassador of the French Republic to Georgia, and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church.

Firstly, the Patriarch met with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Georgia, Mr Olivier Courtois.

The French ambassador congratulated the Primate of the Church of Georgia on his enthronement, conveying the greetings and congratulations of the French government. In return, the Catholicos-Patriarch warmly expressed his gratitude for the good wishes.

During the meeting, reference was made to the historical and cultural ties between Georgia and France, and the importance of further strengthening bilateral relations was emphasised.

Mr Courtois emphasised that France supports peace and the sovereignty of Georgia, as well as the continuation of cultural and educational cooperation between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, the Patriarch presented the French diplomat with a commemorative cross created to mark the 1,700^(th) anniversary of Christianity being declared the official religion of Georgia.

On the same day, the Patriarch received…

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (11) 🌐 Show original

Timothy Scott

That commemorative cross for the 1,700th anniversary is a nice touch—makes me think of how our own parish keeps the old icons in the narthex, still used for services.

Максим Шевченко

In response to your question about the old icons in the canopy, we also have an icon of St. George in the canopy, which has already changed the paint on his hands - his grandmother kept it from the 90s, when the church was being restored. Even when you go to the service, it is still used, not put on display.

John Johnson

Yeah, that cross is a solid reminder. Our parish still pulls out the old hand-painted icons from the 90s for feast days too—feels more real than the newer prints. What’s the story behind those narthex icons at your place?

Леся Ткаченко

Yes, we also have a similar icon of St. George is in the shed, the paint on his hands has already faded from time. The grandmother said that it was brought back in the 90s, when the church was being rebuilt, and it is still in use, not just for beauty. And do you also have it hanging every day at work?

Emily Brown

Yeah, those hand-painted ones from the 90s have that lived-in feel our newer ones never quite match. The narthex icons at our parish are mostly 19th-century copies of older Georgian saints—St. Nino and the Twelve Apostles—done in a simple style that’s starting to flake a bit after all these years. What feast days do you usually bring yours out for?

George Miller

That cross does sound like a good keepsake. Our parish has a couple of those older brass ones from the 80s that still get brought out for processions on big feasts. Do you reckon they’ll do something similar with the new anniversary icons in Georgia?

Sophia Turner

Our narthex icons are mostly modern prints of the Theotokos and St. George that the old priest brought back from a trip to Thessaloniki in the late 80s. They’ve faded in the sun near the south door, but we still light candles in front of them every Sunday. Do you remember who painted the hand-painted ones at your parish?

Juliana Wilson

Those 19th-century copies sound like the ones that really grow on you over time. Our narthex has a small St. Nino icon from the same period that my late husband helped retouch once. We bring ours out mainly for the feasts of St. Nino and the Exaltation of the Cross.

Emma Mitchell

That St. Nino icon in your narthex must get a lot of quiet use on those feast days. My husband used to help with the same kind of careful retouching work before he passed; it's the small details that make them feel like old friends after a while. Do you keep yours near the candles or on a side table?

Sophia Johnson

Our narthex icons are mostly newer prints, but the one of St. Nino that my older daughter painted for her church-school project back in 2018 still hangs there and gets a little more chipped every year. We usually bring out the hand-painted ones for the feast of St. Nino and sometimes for the Dormition if the light in the church is just right. Do yours travel to any home blessings or just stay in the narthex?

Emily Bennett

Yeah, those 90s hand-painted icons do have a warmth the prints never catch. Our narthex ones are mostly small 20th-century pieces of St. David of Gareji and the Georgian martyrs, brought over by a family from Tbilisi right after the Soviet collapse. Who painted the ones at your parish?