Georgian patriarch to consider every fourth child in a family a “defender of the patriarchal throne”

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi
and Metropolitan of Pitsunda and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Ilia II, has
announced that he will baptize every fourth child in a family and give
them a certain status within the Church, News-Georgia reports,
referring to the press service of the patriarchy.

”I'll be godfather to the fourth child of everyone who would want it.
The child will be called “devotional child of the fatherland” and
“defender of the patriarchal throne of the Georgian Church.” This
means that we must preserve the patriarchal throne, in order for our
state to be strong, as well as for the unity of the Church and the
state. This unity will bring us happiness,” the Patriarch said.

Today, the head of the Georgian Church is the godfather of more than
seven thousand children.

On the 19th of  January Ilia II will organize the 15th mass baptism of
children, confined to the Church holiday of the Baptism of Jesus
Christ.