TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday for Georgia's tiny Catholic community Saturday and pressed his mission to improve ties with the Georgian Orthodox Church after receiving an unexpectedly warm welcome from the Orthodox leader. While Francis' visit has been met with some protests by hardline Orthodox Georgians, the official reception by the Orthodox Church indicated something of an institutional shift that has accompanied Georgia's geopolitical aspirations. Georgia is anxious to join NATO and is pursuing an eventual membership in the 28-nation European Union. Francis' main ecumenical event of the day was an evening visit to the seat of the Orthodox church, where he was expected to press his call for improved Catholic-Orthodox ties.