World

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

By Philip Pullella and Margarita Antidze
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.

The Star Festive Promo: Get 35% OFF Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

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

Next In World
India, Brazil sign mining pact as Modi targets $20 billion trade in five years
With tariffs ruling, Supreme Court reasserts its power to check Trump
Exclusive-Cuban security forces exit Venezuela as US pressure mounts
France's Macron calls for calm ahead of march for far-right activist killed last week
Two soldiers, five militants killed in Bannu, Pakistan army says
Ukrainians, scattered across Europe, trapped in limbo by war
Macron says US Supreme Court tariff ruling shows it is good to have counterweights to power in democracies
Analysis-Trump pushes US toward war with Iran as advisers urge focus on economy
Trump meets Vietnam leader, vows to remove Hanoi from restricted lists
Analysis-Supreme Court checks Trump's expansive view of executive power

Trending in News

Others Also Read

Load more

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

Best viewed on Chrome browsers.