Patr. Shio III Expresses Support for Metr. Onuphry

Patr. Shio III of Georgia. Photo: Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP

TBILISI — His Holiness and Beatitude Shio III, the newly elected and enthroned Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, shared support for Metr. Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) while exchanging greetings with a hierarch from Ukraine. This was first reported by the OrthoChristian site.

Metr. Serhiy of Ternopil represented the UOC at Patr. Shio's enthronement. While speaking with the Ukrainian bishop, His Holiness said: "Give my bow to His Beatitude. I really respect and really love him."

During the leadup to Georgia's patriarchal election, Patr. Shio had been described as one of the candidates who supports the UOC and maintains the position of his predecessor, Patr. Ilia II, on the Ukraine matter — that being, no recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) as a legitimate, canonical Church, and support for Metr. Onuphry and the UOC as the true Church of Ukraine.

His Holiness' comment to Metr. Serhiy serves as the first official sign of this position since his enthronement.

In March, the same Ukrainian hierarch also led a delegation of the UOC to Georgia to offer condolences, serve a memorial, and attend the funeral of Patr. Ilia. 

Photos of a meeting between Metr. Serhiy and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew — who presided over the funeral — made the rounds on social media and were shared on the official channels of the UOC and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in a positive light.

This came in spite of the Phanar's creation of the OCU, and comments from the Ecumenical Patriarch earlier this year in which he urged Metr. Onuphry to "reconsider his stance."

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Onuphry was one of the primates from around the Orthodox world to send congratulations to Patr. Shio III. 

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