I will not forget the lands that have been taken away from you, Pope Francis told the delegation of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University visiting the Vatican, while speaking about Georgia.

“Georgia’s history is full of facts of transition from darkness to light, because your country has always been able to rise and lighten up, even when it was constantly under the domination of foreign conquerors for centuries.

I will not forget the lands that have been taken away from you. This is always cheerful and brave, hospitable and life-loving nation, even in the darkest periods, it was thanks to faith and culture that it maintained an optimistic mood.

In this regard, the role of the Catholic Church, which has made an invaluable contribution to the culture and history of the Georgian nation, is important”, - said the Pope.

The full text of the Pope’s address is distributed by the Nuncio of the Holy See in Georgia, Monsignor José Avelino Bettencourt.