The Georgian Patriarchate warned against polarizing radical statements and called for the preservation of a peaceful path.
The Georgian Orthodox Church has issued its first statement since the beginning of the protests in Tbilisi. The Patriarchate of the GOC expressed that they are fervently praying for peace and unity in Georgia, Georgia Online reports.
The appeal says that “based on the difficult situation in the neighborhood, maintaining a peaceful path and the independence of the country is the only chance for progress.”
They also said that polarizing radical statements are considered an attempt to disturb the peace, from whichever side they spread.
The GOC also criticized the sermons and speeches of “individual clerics who touched on political topics, be it excessive “sympathy” for the northern neighbor or radical criticism of the state.”
The GOC states that such behaviors are “different from the official view of the Church and the Christian spirit in general, which is repeatedly expressed in the official positions of the Patriarchate and in the personal statements of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia on the path of European integration.”
Recall that in Georgia, the second day of protests lasted. They started on March 7 after the adoption of the law on “foreign agents” by the Georgian parliament in the first reading. Protests then began in central Tbilisi, where police used tear gas and water cannons.
On March 8, special forces in Tbilisi reportedly dispersed protesters again with tear gas.
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Source: korrespondent
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