Number of godchildren of Georgian Patriarch reaches 32 thousand

Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia held the 48th mass baptism. Baptism was held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi commonly known as Sameba, the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church, reports Georgia Online.

On the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, 1173 children became the godchildren of Ilia II.

As a gift, the children were given baptismal crosses, a certificate of baptism and the Easter epistle of the Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia baptizes third and subsequent children in families whose parents were married in a church. The purpose of this initiative is to improve the demographic situation in the country.

The first mass baptism of babies was also held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral – Sameba of Tbilisi on January 19, 2008. To date, Ilia II has baptized more than 32 thousand children.