Georgian Govt officials join clergy, parishioners in celebration of family sanctity day

In celebration of the Day of Sanctity of the Family and Respect for Parents, the Georgian  government officials joined the procession alongside clergy and parishioners in Tbilisi on Friday.  At noon, St. George’s Cathedral of Kashveti hosted Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, who led a prayer alongside clergy members.The gathering near Kashveti witnessed a solemn prayer procession to the Patriarchal Cathedral named after the Most Holy Trinity. At the conclusion of the procession, a prayer of thanksgiving marked the occasion.

Among the attendees were Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, and Mayor Kakha Kaladze. 

The Georgian Government on Thursday declared the day as a national holiday amid mass protests in Tbilisi against the foreign influence bill. Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II called for unity the same day and urged citizens to join the procession.  

May 17 holds significance internationally as the day of fight against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, first observed in 2005. This date was chosen symbolically, marking the removal of homosexuality from the list of diseases by the World Health Organization on May 17, 1990.

In 2014, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II designated May 17 as the day of sanctity of the family and respect for parents.