The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church joyfully announces that His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, has conveyed a letter of heartfelt congratulations and prayers to His Holiness Patriarch Shio upon his election as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi.
In his message, His Holiness the Catholicos expressed gratitude to God for the life and ministry of the newly elected primate and assured him of the prayers and fraternal support of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as he assumes the sacred responsibility of shepherding the ancient Georgian Orthodox Church.
His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III reflected upon the longstanding bonds of Christian fellowship shared between the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church, recalling with gratitude the historic visit of the late His Holiness Ilia II to India in 1982 during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Catholicate in Malankara. The Catholicos also prayed that the Lord would grant His Holiness Patriarch Shio wisdom, strength, and many blessed years in leading the faithful of Georgia in peace, unity, and steadfast witness to the Gospel.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church joins the faithful of the Georgian Orthodox Church in offering prayers for the fruitful and grace-filled primatial ministry of His Holiness Patriarch Shio.