Georgian President emphasises role of family in strengthening nation on Family Purity Day

Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili on Sunday attended a special service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, dedicated to Family Purity and Respect for Parents Day.

In his address, the president emphasised that love for one’s homeland is first learned within the family, describing it as the primary moral foundation of society. He said that in Georgian tradition, a mother’s prayers, a father’s guidance, and the memory of ancestors have long served as an invisible force that helps shape a person’s moral path.

“Family is, first and foremost, a moral school that preserves our unique culture, civic consciousness, and national identity”, Kavelashvili stated, adding that a morally strong family is the foundation of a strong state.

He also highlighted the historical role of the Georgian family in preserving language, faith, and traditions during periods of national hardship, saying that the country’s survival has often depended on the strength of family life at home.

“Georgia’s past shows that the fate of the country’s survival was decided not only on the battlefield, but often within the Georgian family, when during times of war our statehood and Church came under attack. Within the family hearth, our language was strengthened, traditions were forged, faith was reinforced, and the love of homeland and the idea of freedom were passed from generation to generation”, he said.

“A person learns love for their homeland first and foremost within the family, at the native hearth. In Georgian folk tradition, a mother’s prayer, a father’s advice, and the memory of ancestors have always been the invisible force that sets a person on the right path. Like our ancestors, we are deeply convinced today that a morally strong family is the foundation of a strong state”, Kavelashvili continued.

The president expressed gratitude to the late Patriarch Ilia II for establishing the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents and for his immense contribution to supporting demographics through the tradition of baptising third and subsequent children.

“The role of our Mother Church is of immense importance in protecting and preserving this most important value. Today, when speaking about family purity, it is impossible not to express deep gratitude for the epochal legacy of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. It was on his initiative that the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents was established. His Holiness took on the spiritual fatherhood of the nation during one of the most difficult periods for the country. His contribution to supporting demographics is immeasurable. His initiative of baptising third and subsequent children gave thousands of Georgian families courage and faith. This tradition breathed new life into our demographic future and showed each of us that every new life is the greatest wealth of the country”, he said.

Kavelashvili further noted that this invaluable legacy was now being continued with dignity by Patriarch Shio III.

“This invaluable spiritual legacy is being continued with dignity today by His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III. Under his leadership, the Church continues to firmly stand in defence of peace, unity, family values, and moral strength. In the context of global challenges in the modern world, it is our duty to protect and strengthen this sacred space where love, loyalty, and intergenerational bonds live on. Happy Family Purity Day! May God bless, multiply, and strengthen every Georgian family. May God strengthen our homeland - Georgia!” Kavelashvili concluded.