Shalva Papuashvili: Love for the homeland and faith are the values that bind the Georgian Christian family together; the more closely a family is united around these values, the stronger both the family and the state become
It is symbolic that this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity being declared the state religion in Georgia—though the history of the Georgian Church spans an even longer period. This timeline began right here in Adjara, with the first sermons and baptisms performed by Andrew the First-Called. Consequently, today holds even greater symbolic significance. This statement was made by the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, in Adjara, where he attended a mass baptism ceremony in the Eparchy of Skhalta.
According to Shalva Papuashvili, love for the homeland and faith are the values that bind the Georgian Christian family together.
"This is a special day. It is special, among other reasons, because the joy of your families has today transformed into the joy of all of Georgia. All attention is focused on this remarkable day, on which 1,300 people have been baptized into the Christian faith. I would like to offer special congratulations to those among you who are adults—to those who have become members of the Church today. As the Catholicos-Patriarch noted, this step you have taken is significant as an act of faith. It is symbolic that this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of Christianity being declared the state religion in Georgia—though the Georgian Church itself traces its history back even further, to 2,000 years ago. This timeline began right here, in Adjara, with the first sermons of Andrew the First-Called and the first baptisms performed in this region. Therefore, in this momentous year—as we commemorate 1,700 years of Christian statehood—today’s events take on an even deeper symbolic meaning. I would like to address, in particular, the families of the children baptized today: you have given your children not only life, but also a sense of belonging; you are providing them with a language and teaching them about their homeland. Share love and faith with them today. These are the values that bind a Georgian Christian family together; the more firmly a family is united around these values, the stronger the family itself becomes, and the stronger the state becomes. Therefore, I wish this strength for each of your families. I would like to congratulate each of you once again on this day, and wish you health, success, and God’s love. May God bless those baptized today, may God bless Adjara, and may God protect Georgia," stated Shalva Papuashvili.
