The newly elected Georgian patriarch, Shio, served as locum tenens for nearly nine years and during that entire time never defended the Georgian people’s pro Western course.
This was stated by one of Georgia’s most respected experts, theologian Gocha Barnovi, in an interview with LF.
According to him, the Church in Georgia was pro Russian and remains pro Russian.
“Unfortunately, our Church never supported either the pro Western course of the previous government, meaning the Saakashvili presidency, or the protests of recent years against Russian style laws. In Georgia, ‘Russian laws’ refers to initiatives by the ruling party that copy the repressive legislation of the Russian Federation and are aimed at restricting democratic freedoms, suppressing civil society, and abandoning the European course. Nor did it support the protesters themselves. No simple statements were heard from the Church, apart from remarks by a few bishops who noted that such treatment, meaning the suppression of protests, of Georgian citizens was unlawful. But overall the Church remained silent and made no statements against the authorities,” the theologian said.
He believes that Shio, as Ilia II’s successor, will continue this course.
“Ilia II’s successor studied in Russia and defended his doctorate there. His attitude toward the protests and Georgia’s pro Western course has always been the same. He never supported the idea that Georgia is a country pursuing a pro Western course and striving to become part of Europe founded on evangelical values. For almost nine years he served as locum tenens and during all that time he never defended the Georgian people’s pro Western course,” Gocha Barnovi said.
Read about the church situation in Georgia, the role of the Church, and the newly elected patriarch’s significance for the present and future in LF’s exclusive interview with one of Georgia’s most respected experts, theologian Gocha Barnovi.
As LF previously reported, Shio Mujiri, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, was elected the new Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, the 142nd in the country’s history, at an expanded council held at the Sameba Cathedral, the Holy Trinity Cathedral. From that day forward he became Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III.
Shio Mujiri received 22 votes, Metropolitan Iov received 9, and Metropolitan Grigol received 7 votes.
The 57 year old Metropolitan Shio Mujiri had long been considered the official successor to Ilia II.
He was born in Tbilisi, received a conservatory education, took monastic vows at the Shiomgvime Monastery, and later spent many years in Moscow. There he served as rector of the Georgian community church and studied within the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Shio was regarded as the most acceptable figure for the Georgian authorities and for the Russian Orthodox Church, which has sought to influence the Georgian Orthodox Church. After the death of Patriarch Ilia II, some pro government commentators even urged bishops to withdraw their candidacies in favor of the locum tenens.
As is known, Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II, Irakliy Georgiyevich Gudushauri Shiolashvili, died in hospital on March 17 at the age of 93. Ilia II, one of Georgia’s most influential religious figures, had served as Catholicos Patriarch since 1977. His patriarchate was the longest in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
As LF wrote, the Georgian Orthodox Church took an important step toward electing a new patriarch by concluding the Holy Synod meeting that nominated three candidates for the vacant patriarchal throne. The candidates were Metropolitan Shio Mujiri of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Metropolitan Iov Akiashvili of Ruisi and Urbnisi, and Metropolitan Grigol Berbichashvili of Poti and Khobi.
Earlier we reported that, according to the Church Charter of 1995, the election had to take place no earlier than 40 days and no later than two months after the patriarch’s death, making May 17 the latest possible date.
LF also reported that Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a sharp statement directed at 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.
Earlier, in an exclusive interview with LF, Georgian independent investigative journalist Nugzar Suaridze spoke about Russian influence over the Georgian clergy and whether the Georgian Church is capable of, or willing to, overcome it.
Read about what the Georgian Orthodox Church will be like without Ilia II in LF’s feature article.
