Inauguration of Mosaic of the Mother of God of Georgia in the Vatican Gardens

On 28 November, the unveiling of the stele with the mosaic icon of the Mother of God of Georgia took place in the Vatican Gardens. The reproduction of the Mother of God of Iveron, characterised by a scar on the right side of her face, is a gift of the Georgian government to the Holy Father.

The inauguration was attended by representatives of the Georgian government, diplomatic missions, the Roman Curia and the Georgian diaspora, as well as a delegation from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Georgia, led by Metropolitan Daniel. Also present were Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, and Cardinal Fernando Vergez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Metropolitan Daniel read a letter from Patriarch Ilia II addressed to Pope Francis, in which he emphasised the role of friendship in the relations between the two Churches: "Today is further proof of the friendly and truly fraternal relations that have been established since antiquity; in our time, they were renewed through the work of Pope John Paul II, and now during your pontificate this relationship has acquired even greater depth". The Patriarch then invoked the Mother of God's protection for all people, and for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and the entire world.

The previous day, some of the Patriarchate representatives met with Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The members of the Patriarchate's delegation were: His Eminence Gerasim (Sharashemidze), Metropolitan of Zugdidi and Tsaishi, President of the Department for External Relations of the Georgian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Daniel (Datuashvili), Metropolitan of Sachkere and Tchiatura, President of the Department for Mission and Evangelisation of the Patriarchate, the Revd Archpriest Giorgi Zviadadze, from the Academy of Theology and Sister Elene (Napetvaridze) from the Monastery of the Transfiguration.