Georgian Church numbers Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) among the saints
A hierarch of the Georgian Church believes that, in addition to Father Seraphim, Brother José Muñoz-Cortés, guardian of the Montreal Icon of the Mother of God, should also be canonized.
Metropolitan Nicholas of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo and Kars of the Georgian Orthodox Church has announced the canonization of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), Orthochristian.com reports.
This became known on February 26, 2023, during the Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Georgian hierarch at the Church of the Archangel Michael in his eparchy together with Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth of the Orthodox Church in America, a spiritual child of Hieromonk Seraphim at St. Herman Monastery in Platina, California.
Addressing Bishop Gerasim, Metropolitan Nicholas said that Hieromonk Seraphim had been canonized in the Akhalkalaki Eparchy just one week earlier, as evidenced by the icon of Father Seraphim placed in the church. The icon can be seen to the left of the archimandrite at the beginning of the video on the Punks and Monks channel.
The metropolitan thanked Bishop Gerasim for coming and said: “I do not think it is by chance that a week ago we placed in the church an icon of his spiritual father, Father Seraphim Rose. And I also do not think it is a coincidence that Father Seraphim Rose has not been canonized in the world, but he has been canonized in our eparchy, and this will begin from here.”
“Bishop Gerasim first came to Georgia in 1991, 10 years after the repose of Father Seraphim Rose. And during that difficult period, we managed to print two of his books, and perhaps this is one of the reasons why you come so often,” Metropolitan Nicholas said, addressing the American hierarch.
Metropolitan Nicholas and Bishop Gerasim were at St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in September during a pilgrimage marking the 40th anniversary of Father Seraphim’s repose.
According to the Georgian hierarch, he came to America at that time with a special mission – to encourage the official glorification of Father Seraphim among the saints. He visited Bishop Maxim of Los Angeles of the Serbian Orthodox Church to share his proposal with him. Although Father Seraphim himself was a hieromonk of ROCOR, St. Herman Monastery, where his relics rest, now belongs to the Serbian Church.
Metropolitan Nicholas also visited Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, in late October for the 25th anniversary of the repose of Brother José Muñoz-Cortés, guardian of the wonderworking Montreal Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, with a similar message that the time had come to canonize Brother José.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the UOC Commission for the Canonization of Saints reviewed materials on seven ascetics.
