“I will not forget the lands that have been taken away from you,” Pope Francis told the delegation of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University visiting the Vatican, while speaking about Georgia.
The full text of the Pope’s address was shared by the Nuncio of the Holy See in Georgia, Monsignor José Avelino Bettencourt:
“Georgia’s history is full of facts of transition, from darkness to light, because your country has always been able to rise and lighten up, even when it was under the domination of foreign conquerors over the centuries. I will not forget the lands that have been taken away from you. This is an always cheerful and brave, hospitable and life-loving nation, even in the darkest periods, and it is thanks to faith and culture that it maintained this optimistic mood. In this regard, the role of the Catholic Church, which has made an invaluable contribution to the culture and history of the Georgian nation, is important,” the Pope said.
During the meeting, the head of the Catholic Church said that “Georgians, starting with the youth, deserve a wide path and opportunities.”
According to the Pope, “typical Georgian humanism, with its uniqueness and attractiveness, is worthy of universal appreciation, with its art, music and other forms of expression, which will be further enriched as a result of the respectful relationship with other cultures.”
Addressing the members of the delegation of Tbilisi Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Pope Francis drew attention to the importance of education.
According to the Pope, “it is often forgetfulness and indifference that obscures and makes everything around indiscernible; And culture and education bring back the memory of the past and shed light on the present. This is necessary for the growth of young people and, in general, the whole society”.
“As I learned, in the noble Georgian language the term “educazione” (“education”) sounds like “enlightenment”. This is very interesting because it comes from the word “light” and refers to moving from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. Education, according to you, is a return to enlightenment, a synonym for education. It is very significant – it is like lighting a candle in a dark room; Nothing there changes, but every object appears differently. This is exactly the kind of education received at your university, which considers the personal dignity of a person at the center of everything,” said Pope Francis.
In addition, the Pope recalled the meeting with the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia and noted that when he is sad, he listens to his music.
“I remember Patriarch Ilia – a great person! When I feel sad, I listen to his music, his songs and I feel better! Bravo! – A servant of God, whose face I carry in my prayers and whose precious musical creations I listen to with inspiration. I keep in my heart the meetings with him, especially in the Patriarchal Church, when we stood next to each other, as a sign of Christ’s robe, which is described in the Gospel as not sewn, but woven from beginning to end and which, according to tradition, embodies the unity of the Church, the body of Christ. I will not forget the excellent wine that Patriarch Ilia let me taste – tough, but very good!” added the Pope.
