Patriarch Shio becomes godfather to more than 600 children
Celebrations at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral. Photo: UOJ Georgia
Patriarch Shio of Georgia has become the godfather of more than 600 Georgian children. On June 8, 2026, he arrived at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) following the completion of the 73rd mass baptism ceremony to bless his godchildren, according to the Georgian branch of the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
For several hours, the cathedral priests performed the sacrament of Baptism, after which Patriarch Shio arrived and blessed his godchildren. According to tradition, mass baptism in Georgia is performed for third and subsequent children in married families. The current one became the first since the enthronement of the new Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Shio III.
The practice of mass baptisms in the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) is viewed as a form of church support for large families and one of the factors in the country's demographic policy.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the tradition of mass baptisms in Sameba Cathedral was established on the initiative of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, who headed the Georgian Church until his death. Over all the years, Patriarch Ilia became the godfather of 50 thousand children from different regions of the country.
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