Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has issued a sharp statement addressed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, accusing him of attempting to destabilize the situation within the Georgian Orthodox Church after the death of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.
This was reported by Ekho Kavkaza.
The SVR press bureau published a statement under the headline “Bartholomew Has Forgotten Himself in His Arrogance.” The text claims that the Ecumenical Patriarch intends to extend his influence over the Georgian Orthodox Church by exploiting the transitional period in its governance.
According to Russian intelligence, Constantinople is allegedly lobbying for specific candidates for the Patriarchal throne: Metropolitan Avraam of Western Europe (Garmelia) and Metropolitan Grigory of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili).
Avraam (Garmelia), mentioned in the SVR statement, is currently 77 years old, and therefore cannot participate in the patriarchal election due to age requirements: a candidate must be no younger than 40 and no older than 70.
“In his inner circle, he presents them as the most suitable executors of his will,” the agency’s statement emphasizes.
In Moscow, it is asserted that Bartholomew’s actions violate church canons. The SVR statement cites the second rule of the Second Ecumenical Council, which states: “Let not bishops extend their authority to churches beyond their own regions…” The Russian side draws parallels with situations in Ukraine, Serbia, and the Baltic states.
Andria Jagmaidze, head of the press service of the Georgian Patriarchate, commented on the SVR statement in an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Georgian service: “Such interference from another local church is unthinkable for us, we consider it completely impossible. We are unaware of any grounds for such information.”
According to Giorgi Antadze, a representative of the GeoCase research center, this statement signals that Moscow views Georgia as within its sphere of influence.
“This is direct interference by Russia in the affairs of our church and the country’s sovereignty. We are being told outright: ‘These people are unacceptable to us, with the rest we will come to an agreement,’” he wrote on Facebook.
Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo, and Kars (Pachuashvili) also does not rule out Russian interference in the patriarchal election. He stated this to the TV channel TV Pirveli even before the Russian intelligence statement was released. He noted that both foreign states and other Orthodox churches are showing interest in the election.
The election of a new Catholicos-Patriarch must take place within a period of 40 days to two months from the moment the throne becomes vacant. Thirty-nine bishops, members of the Synod, take part in the process. To be elected, a candidate must receive more than half of the votes, at least 20. The locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri), is likely to participate in the election.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II in Tbilisi. As for the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, it was led by Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus (Tupeko). Russian Presidential Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy was also in Tbilisi.
As previously reported by LF, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a press release in which it claimed that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, described as “the devil in the flesh” and “the Antichrist,” had “fixed his dark gaze” on the Baltic states in order, with the support of British intelligence services, to “drive out Russian Orthodoxy” and impose “puppet structures.”
According to LF, the Synod of the Australian Archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate condemned the accusations by Russia’s SVR against Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, calling them false and disgraceful.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated that he is not intimidated by the dirty Russian slander directed against him and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He said this in an interview, noting that it is the Russians who should fear Judgment Day, if they still believe in God.
