President shows support to Patriarch Ilia II, dismissed Archbishop Petre refuses to serve at assigned monastery
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, November 4
The President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili says that she will be careful with her decision over pardoning Archbishop Giorgi Mamaladze because of “public concern” around the case.
As the president noted, “pardoning is a sensitive issue, there is a passion in society. I will be very careful about my decision.”
"The rules have not been formulated yet. As soon as a new decree is prepared, we will let you know," the president told reporters.
On October 31, the Holy Synod unanimously decided to address the President to pardon Archbishop Giorgi Mamaladze. Mamaladze has been serving a nine-year sentence since September 2017 on charges of plotting the murder of patriarch’s secretary Shorena Tetruashvili.
Several online media outlets have been reporting that the president was planning to pardon Mamaladze on November 23. On November 2, the Administration of the President of Georgia reported that the consideration of the pardoning procedures had not been renewed and the information on the release of Mamaladze on November 23 is "fake news.”
President Zourabichvili also attended the Sunday Worship on November 3, saying that she was there to support the patriarch, as it represents her “personal and presidential responsibility.”
“Insulting the patriarch means insulting the nation, our culture and traditions. This is why I came here; this represents my responsibility as a president, and also is my way of showing support to our patriarch,” told Zourabichvili reporters.
Following the synod’s meeting of October 31, the dismissed Metropolitan of Chkondidi, Petre Tsaava, stated that the “Georgian church has a leader who is possessed by the sin of pederasty.” His statement was followed by a massive backlash, many called his statement lies while some accused the Holy Synod of being biased and took Petre’s side.
As Ilia II said during the Sunday worship, everyone should take care of the homeland and the church, “as this represents the strength of the Georgian nation.” He also thanked everyone for their support and noted that not only representatives of the Orthodox church, but “other confessions, including Muslims, expressed their support following the synod meeting.”
As decided by the Patriarch, Petre will serve at the Shio Mgvime Monastery. The statement of the Patriarch was published on the website of the Patriarchate of Georgia.
"According to the Holy Synod's decision made on October 31, 2019, Metropolitan Petre was dismissed from the administration of the Chkondidi, as well as from the membership of the Holy Synod. He will serve at the Shio Mgvime Monastery," reads the statement. Tsaava refused to go to Shio Mgvime and demanded to go to Inchkhuri Monastery, but his proposal was not satisfied.
According to Giorgi Zviadadze, Rector of the Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Petre Tsaava has no right to decide which monastery he will go to.
“If he still disobeys the decision, then the Synod will discuss it. He has no right to choose which monastery he will be appointed to. The right thing to do will be to obey the decision of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod,” noted Zviadadze.
The Shio-Mgvime monastery is a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, near the town of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone canyon on the northern bank of the Mtkvari River, about 30 kilometers from Tbilisi.
