Protests in Georgia, sparked by election fraud, the government’s pro-Russian stance, and its rejection of European integration, continue. Security forces are using water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters across the country. The Georgian Orthodox Church, traditionally a powerful force in society, has found itself at the epicenter of these events.
The Church, supporting the pro-Russian authorities, condemned the protests
The scandal began with a post on the social network of the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili. She called on “schools to show their solidarity with the protests throughout Georgia.” According to the head of the public relations service of the patriarchate, Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) condemns such a statement by the President.
“Ms. Salome, we hope that after schools you will not call kindergartens to participate in protests,” saidJagmaidze.
The attempt of the Church to intervene in the protests was ambiguously perceived in Georgian society. Moreover, the comment on the words of the President is regarded by everyone as support for the authorities’harsh actions aimed to suppress the protests. Hundreds of Georgians were injured, hundreds more were detained and are in prison.
The interference of the church in secular affairs is also not understood by numerous patrons of the Georgian Orthodox Church, who have supported it for years. In particular, the largest patron of the GOC in Europe, Tamaz Somkhishvili, considers such statements by the Patriarchate to be categorically unacceptable. Tamaz Somkhishvili founded a parish of the Church in London and purchased a church building for the Georgian Orthodox Church, and is also known as a patron and sponsor of the Georgian University of St. Andrew the First-Called.
Somkhishvili says that, according to the Constitution, the church is separated from the state, so priests should not interfere in political events. After all, this situation looks as if the Patriarchate supports the ruling regime and wants citizens’ protests to stop. The well-known investor and businessman emphasizes that attempts by the authorities to put pressure on the church and take it under control, if any, must stop.
Do the authorities want to control the Church?
Such statements by the Patriarchate look even more strange, given the previous statements of the priests. In late August, during consultations with the Prime Minister, Archpriest Giorgi Zviadadze clearly stated the independence of the Church and that there is no need to amend the Constitution.
“There is no reason for the legal model that currently exists between the GOC and the state to change,” saidZviadadze.
Recently, against the backdrop of a harsh crackdown on the protests, the authorities have once again turned their attention to the Georgian Orthodox Church, one of the few independent institutions capable of influencing public sentiment.
Attempts to control the church are not new. In 2012, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who actually rules the country through the Georgian Dream party, proposed making Orthodoxy the official religion by enshrining it in the Constitution. However, he failed to implement this plan at that time due to opposition from both the public and the Church itself. Now the authorities are once again seeking to influence the GOC, using proven Soviet methods: financial incentives, political pressure, and cooperation with loyal hierarchs.
“In order to further strengthen the constitutional status of Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church, as well as to more accurately reflect the existing reality in constitutional legislation, the mission of supporting Orthodoxy as the identity of the Georgian state will be clearly reflected in the Constitution of Georgia,” said Bidzina Ivanishvili, who in fact governs Georgia himself through the Georgian Dream party, in September.
Saakashvili warns that the government is taking control of the Church
Georgian experts emphasize that the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church includes pro-Russian priests, namely the patriarch, and that the church receives state funding. These factors bring the Georgian Orthodox Church closer to the pro-Russian government.
For 47 years, the GOC has been headed by Illia II. On the one hand, he is a symbol of church stability, on the other, his close ties with Russia and Soviet past cause distrust. After all, he is a graduate of the Moscow Theological Seminary, and the Georgian media directly call Illia II a KGB agent. On November 16, the Patriarchate officially congratulated the Georgian Dream party on its victory in the elections. This statement, which could not have been made without the Patriarch’s knowledge, speaks of the Church’s support for the authorities.
Another tool of influence of the authorities on the GOC is financing. According to the Institute of Tolerance and Diversity, from 2002 to 2019 the Church received more than GEL 276 million from the state budget. These funds can be used to ensure the loyalty of the Church leadership.
Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who is in prison on criminal cases falsified by the authorities, believes that Ivanishvili plans to “destroy the only institution that remains beyond his full control” in order to appoint and dismiss the Patriarch and bishops himself. Thus, the oligarch will be able to appoint his own person to manage the Church.
The situation in Georgia is indicative for the entire region. The coming months will decide whether the Georgian Orthodox Church will remain independent or become fully under state control, as has been the case in Russia with the Russian Orthodox Church for many years.
