The Pope has been named a Papal Confrater of the College of St George Photo: Vatican Media

The new Patriarch of Georgia and global Orthodoxy

The Synod has elected the three candidates to succeed Ilia II, who had led the Georgian Church since 1977. The candidate with the most votes was the 57-year-old Metropolitan Shio, who had in fact already served as regent alongside the elderly patriarch for ten years. But this transition is extremely delicate, because in a deeply polarised country and against the backdrop of the clash between Moscow and Constantinople, the Georgian Orthodox Church is not merely choosing a person or a development programme for its future.

Anglican archbishop meets with leaders of Catholic religious orders and nuns from around the world in Rome

During the meeting, particular attention was given to the theme of “walking together,” a central image in the Church’s current journey. Walking together implies recognizing and embracing differences — cultural, spiritual, and theological — while seeking a common path oriented toward building authentic relationships and fostering unity