This story is free to read.

Pope presses mission to improve ties with Georgian Orthodox

Pope Francis presents Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili and his wife Maka Chichua, right, with a souvenir during their meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. The pontiff is traveling to Georgia and Azerbaijan for a three-day visit. (Leli Blagonravova/Presidential Press Service via AP) Pope Francis presents Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili and his wife Maka Chichua, right, with a souvenir during their meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. The pontiff is traveling to Georgia and Azerbaijan for a three-day visit. (Leli Blagonravova/Presidential Press Service via AP)

By Associated Press October 1, 2016 1 min read

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Pope Francis is celebrating Mass for Georgia’s tiny Catholic community and is pressing his mission to improve ties with the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Francis received an unexpectedly warm welcome from the Orthodox leader upon his arrival Friday in Tbilisi. Patriarch Ilia welcomed Francis as my “dear brother” and toasted him saying: “May the Lord bless the Catholic Church of Rome.”

It was a different tone compared to the chill that characterized St. John Paul II’s 1999 visit. Then, Catholic-Orthodox tensions were so high that the Georgian Orthodox Church urged its faithful to stay away from his Mass.

This time around, an official delegation from the Orthodox patriarchate will attend the Saturday service at a sports stadium. The main event of the day is an evening visit to the Orthodox cathedral.