Georgian Dream plans to declare Orthodoxy the state religion – media

The ruling Georgian Dream party wants to officially declare Orthodoxy as the country’s state religion. The Georgian Church does not share this idea. Formula wrote this on Tuesday, August 27, citing its own sources.

It is indicated that the initiative belongs to the founder of the party, Bidzini Ivanishvili. According to interlocutors, Georgian Dream is already discussing this with the Patriarchate of Georgia.

According to the publication’s sources, the Georgian Patriarch Ilya II opposes this proposal.

“At that time, the patriarch was against the declaration of Orthodoxy as the state religion, so a constitutional agreement was concluded that defines the status of the church. The church still follows this opinion,” said a representative of the patriarch’s service in a talking reporters.

The Metropolitan of the diocese of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdos, Rev. Nikoloz Pachuashvili, said that if such a decision is made, the Church will lose its independence from the state.

“Proclaiming the religion of the state means that the church is not independent from the state, and the state is not independent from the church. I don’t think it is necessary for the country and it will not bring anything good,” suggested the priest.

The Georgian pro-Russian party Solidarity for Peace proposed that Russia “restore strategic cooperation” by concluding a new “Georgievsky Treaty.”

We remind you that the majority of the population of Georgia (63%) believe that the country is developing in the wrong direction, and 37% – in the right direction.