The Georgian government has appealed to the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church with a proposal to declare Orthodoxy the state religion in the country, Interfax reports. On August 28, the head of the Patriarchate's public relations service, Deacon Andria Jagmaidze, announced such intentions to the media.
"At this stage, the Patriarchate is discussing the question in what form this government proposal can be formulated," Jagmaidze said.
According to him, recently the government adheres to the line of protection of national values and traditions, the policy of peace, and also does a lot for the church.
"The issue of declaring Orthodoxy a state religion is categorically not raised, so we will discuss it," Jagmaidze said.
Archbishop Zenon of Dmanisi and Agarak-Tashir considers it a mistake to declare Orthodoxy the state religion.
According to him, the declaration of the Orthodox Church as the state religion in Georgia, in fact, implies the institutional subordination of the church to state authority.
"The fact that the Church in Georgia is not an administrative body or structure, an institution of state power, is primarily due to the nature of the Church. Consequently, the independence of the Church from the state is necessary for the state itself, in particular, during the crisis created by political and other circumstances in the country, when its door may be closed to the state or the authorities. Therefore, the proposal to declare the Orthodox Church."
"If this is a purposeful statement, then nothing else comes to mind but an insidious and at the same time low-grade idea to institutionally destroy the church and deviate from the democratic governance of the state, which can only be a project of the special services of a country hostile to Georgia and its church. Or even a harbinger of a future dictatorship or authoritarianism," Archbishop Zenon added.
Recall that in November 2022, by decree of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, Archbishop Zenon (Iarajuli) of Dmanisi and Agarak-Tashir, Great Britain and Ireland, was removed from the administration of the diocese of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Great Britain and Ireland. Archbishop Zenon is known for his support of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which contradicts the official position of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which supports the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.