Georgian Dream Criticizes President Zourabichvili's Call for Appointment of 'Pro-Georgia' Patriarch
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, March 4, 2024
At an event organized by Chatham House in London, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili expressed her hope that the Georgian Church would select a patriarch who is supportive of Georgia and Europe, rather than one with pro-Russian inclinations.
While asking the question to the President, the journalist expressed concerns about the Georgian Church's perceived alignment with Russia's interests, particularly regarding the potential for increased Russian influence upon the appointment of a new patriarch. In response, the President of Georgia acknowledged that the situation concerning the church is indeed very complex:
"One of the main reasons for this is the weakness of the patriarch, who firmly guarded the path of the church. In my opinion, the Orthodox Church, like in any other Orthodox country, is very close to the government and tends to follow the change of accents and nuances. That is why I hope that the church will also follow the pro-Western rhetoric. Since I am an optimist and believe in the future of Georgia, I hope that the Georgian Church will be able to choose a pro-Georgian and pro-European patriarch, not a pro-Russian one," said Zourabichvili.
Members of the Georgian Dream government have criticized President Zourabichvili's statements on the Georgian Church. Irakli Gharibashvili, chairman of the Georgian Dream party, accused Zourabichvili of being 'anti-Georgian'.
"How is it possible that a person would make such a blasphemous statement about our dear patriarch, especially someone holding the office of the president? Here we are dealing with a significant anti-Georgian event; it is an attack on the patriarch and the church, reflecting Salome Zourabichvili's own character. The mask she has worn all this time has been removed," Gharibashvili said.
Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, also criticized the President's remarks, stating, "Targeted attacks on the Patriarch and our Church are not the first case; however, such statements from the president are really shocking."
According to Kaladze, the statements made by the leaders of the Patriarchate of Georgia and the Georgian Dream in response to the president are not an attack, but the statements made by Zourabichvili herself are alarming.
"Do you perceive the assessment of the president's shocking statement as an attack from the side of the Patriarchate?" It's alarming. The pathos of the president's statement, the attack on the patriarch, was truly surprising. A patriarch is a person who enjoys the greatest love and authority in the country. He has done a lot for the Georgian Church over the years. Targeted attacks on him, on the church, on our faith are not the first case. We have been hearing this for years from various specific political parties, non-governmental organizations. However, such statements by the president are really shocking," Kaladze said.
