GEORGIA: LAW ON RELIGIOUS GROUPS' STATUS MAY BOOST ARMENO-PHOBIA MOODS
PanARMENIAN.Net
July 7, 2011 - 21:31 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - One of leaders of Georgia's Christians-Democrats
Levan Vepkhvadze thinks that the Law on Religious Groups' status may
bring to armeno-phobia and xenophobic tendencies.
In this connection, Vepkhvadze calls on ruling party to assume
responsibility.
"The point is that the authorities had fears connected with high
prestige and rating the Church has. They found a moment for breaking
the prestige. The fact that after requests and appeals of Church the
authorities nevertheless passed the draft law may arouse indignation
among peculiar population," Vepkhvadze said, as reported by Georgia
Online.
Amendments to Georgian Civil Code on granting the status of legal
persons to religious units in Georgia have entered into force.
According to the acting law, the Georgian President has 10 days
to adopt a positive decision either veto it, or return it to the
Parliament for corrections. Georgian parliament introduced amendments
to Civil Code, granting the status of legal persons of public law to
5 religious units - Armenian Apostolic Church, Roman Catholic Church,
the Muslim community, the Jewish community and the Baptist church in
Georgia. Law of Georgia defines a legal person of public law as an
organization separated from the state bodies, created by the relevant
law, enact of the President of Georgia or by the administrative act of
state bodies, adopted on the basis of law, which conducts political,
state, social, educational, cultural and other public activities. The
issue of Armenian Apostolic Church status is in the agenda of the
Armenian-Georgian relations. Within the visit of His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians to Georgia, the
Georgian side offered to provide Georgian Orthodox Church in Armenia
the same rights as the Armenian Apostolic Church has in Georgia.
PanARMENIAN.Net
July 7, 2011 - 21:31 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - One of leaders of Georgia's Christians-Democrats
Levan Vepkhvadze thinks that the Law on Religious Groups' status may
bring to armeno-phobia and xenophobic tendencies.
In this connection, Vepkhvadze calls on ruling party to assume
responsibility.
"The point is that the authorities had fears connected with high
prestige and rating the Church has. They found a moment for breaking
the prestige. The fact that after requests and appeals of Church the
authorities nevertheless passed the draft law may arouse indignation
among peculiar population," Vepkhvadze said, as reported by Georgia
Online.
Amendments to Georgian Civil Code on granting the status of legal
persons to religious units in Georgia have entered into force.
According to the acting law, the Georgian President has 10 days
to adopt a positive decision either veto it, or return it to the
Parliament for corrections. Georgian parliament introduced amendments
to Civil Code, granting the status of legal persons of public law to
5 religious units - Armenian Apostolic Church, Roman Catholic Church,
the Muslim community, the Jewish community and the Baptist church in
Georgia. Law of Georgia defines a legal person of public law as an
organization separated from the state bodies, created by the relevant
law, enact of the President of Georgia or by the administrative act of
state bodies, adopted on the basis of law, which conducts political,
state, social, educational, cultural and other public activities. The
issue of Armenian Apostolic Church status is in the agenda of the
Armenian-Georgian relations. Within the visit of His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians to Georgia, the
Georgian side offered to provide Georgian Orthodox Church in Armenia
the same rights as the Armenian Apostolic Church has in Georgia.