Orthodox shun pope's Mass in Tbilisi, few Catholics turn out

By Philip Pullella and Margarita Antidze
  • World

  • Sunday, 02 Oct 2016

Pope Francis waves as he arrives for a holy mass at Mikheil Meskhi stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, October 1, 2016. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

TBILISI (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday said Mass for an unusually small crowd of just a few thousand Catholics in Georgia, a celebration that was further dampened when a delegation from the Orthodox Church stayed away.

Ex-Soviet Georgia is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian and less than 1 percent of the population is Catholic, according to government figures.

Save 30% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 9.73/month

Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.63/month

Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World
ASEAN chair Philippines hopes to widen talks with anti-junta forces in Myanmar
EU leaders to reassess U.S. ties despite Trump U-turn on Greenland
Vance heads to Minneapolis amid tension over ICE crackdown
NATO chief says allies must step up Arctic security in Greenland deal with Trump
Exclusive-Pact with Trump calls for allies to step up fast on Arctic security, says NATO's Rutte
Hungary's opposition lead narrows slightly ahead of April vote, poll shows
Ukraine's Zelenskiy arrives for Davos talks with Trump
Son-in-law of Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez freed from prison
Putin says who owns Greenland is of no concern to Russia, says it might be worth $1 billion
Three people shot dead in eastern Australia, town in lockdown

Trending in News

Others Also Read

Load more

Copyright © 1995- Star Media Group Berhad [197101000523 (10894-D)]

Best viewed on Chrome browsers.