Much in Georgia’s religious sphere will be determined by the outcome of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
This opinion was expressed by one of Georgia’s most respected experts, Doctor of Theology Gocha Barnovi, in an interview with LF.
According to him, the Georgian Church is currently fully aligned with the government and clearly understands the nature of that government.
“For now, they are moving together and are united in their pro Russian policy. What will happen in a year or two is difficult to say. But I believe that once it becomes fully clear what kind of world has emerged, both Georgia’s policy and the policy of the Church will change,” the scholar said.
He also believes that the situation will change after the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We see that Ukraine is moving forward confidently in this war. We see that the world is becoming unipolar, with the West as the dominant force. And this, of course, affects the condition of the Georgian Church as well.
I believe that after the war Russia’s influence will weaken to such an extent that the Georgian Church will no longer be able to pursue such an openly pro Russian policy or assist the state so actively in implementing a pro Russian course,” the theologian stated.
At the same time, in his opinion, the Georgian Church will not recognize the autocephalous Church of Ukraine in the near future.
“And this is very bad for Georgia, for the Georgian people, and for the Georgian Church. Especially since we know our own history well and have ourselves gone through the path of obtaining autocephaly. That is why I have always believed and written that Georgia should have become the first Church after Constantinople to recognize Ukraine’s autocephaly. But unfortunately, the Georgian Church is currently in such a position,” he said.
Read about the church situation in Georgia, the role of the Church, and the newly elected Patriarch for the present and the future in LF’s exclusive interview with one of Georgia’s leading experts, Doctor of Theology Gocha Barnovi.
As LF previously reported, the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne, Shio Mudzhiri, was elected the new Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, the 142nd in the country’s history, during an expanded council held at the Sameba Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. From this day onward, he bears the title Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III.
Shio Mudzhiri received 22 votes, Metropolitan Iov received 9, and Metropolitan Grigol received 7 votes.
The 57 year old Metropolitan Shio Mudzhiri 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 a Georgian community church and studied within the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Shio was regarded as the most acceptable figure both for the Georgian authorities and for the Russian Orthodox Church, which seeks 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 previously reported, Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, born Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri Shiolashvili, died in hospital on March 17 at the age of 93. Ilia II was one of Georgia’s most influential religious figures and had served as Catholicos Patriarch since 1977. His patriarchate was the longest in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
LF also reported that the Georgian Orthodox Church took an important step toward electing a new Patriarch by concluding a session of the Holy Synod that nominated three candidates for the vacant Patriarchal throne. The candidates were Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Metropolitan Iov of Ruisi and Urbnisi, and Metropolitan Grigol of Poti and Khobi.
Earlier, we reported that under 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.
Previously, in an exclusive interview with LF, Georgian independent investigative journalist Nugzar Suaridze spoke about Russian influence on the Georgian clergy and whether the Georgian Church is capable of overcoming it or willing to do so.
Read more on LF about what the Georgian Orthodox Church will look like without Ilia II.
