On Great Thursday (დიდი ხუთშაბათი), April 9, 2026, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Davit Bagrationi Mukhran Batonishvili and Prince Giorgi Bagrationi attended the Divine Liturgy in the Diocese of Urbinisi and Ruisi, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Job.
The date carries significance extending beyond the liturgical calendar. April 9 marks the anniversary of the 1989 Tbilisi Tragedy, when Soviet forces dispersed peaceful Georgian demonstrators calling for independence and 21 people lost their lives. For 37 years, the Georgian people have observed the day in solemn remembrance. The presence of Their Royal Highnesses, father and son together in prayer with the faithful, carried particular significance.
Metropolitan Job’s Sermon
In his sermon, Metropolitan Job spoke with conviction about Georgia’s future. He expressed his firm belief that Georgia will have a blessed king from the Bagrationi dynasty, guided by the Holy Spirit, who will accomplish great things for the country. The Metropolitan affirmed that the Bagrationi royal dynasty has never left the memory of the Georgian people and that the king who comes will be a stabilizing force for the nation, a bearer of peace, and a symbol of unity. “Our nation will truly rejoice,” he said.
Metropolitan Job also called on the faithful to pray for the selection of the future Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, following the repose of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II on March 17, 2026. He asked that the prayer be open and sincere, not directed toward any particular candidate, but trusting in God’s will to reveal the person who will lead Georgia’s Church forward.
The sermon received wide coverage in Georgian media.
A Confluence of Memory and Faith
Holy Week and April 9 rarely coincide. In 2026, they did. The presence of the Crown Prince and his son at the Great Thursday liturgy, on a day Georgia does not forget, reflected the Royal House’s enduring commitment to stand with the Georgian people in faith, history, and hope.
ქრისტე აღდგება.