DECR chairman greets Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Iliya II on his name day

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), has sent the following message to His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya II of All Georgia on the occasion of his name day:

 

Your Holiness and Beatitude,

Kindly accept my cordial congratulations on your Patron Saint’s Day.

Your work and labour of love and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father (cf. 1 Thes. 1:3) have gained you well-deserved respect of the faithful who know and honour you as a good pastor and man of prayer.

The Lord has generously endowed you with rich gifts, which you have multiplied and devoted to the service of the Church. In your zeal for the glory of God you can be likened to your Heavenly Patron, the Holy Prophet Elias through whose intercession may the Lord Pantocrator give Your Holiness and Beatitude joy and good health for many years.

With respectful love in the Lord,

 

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate