Tweet
Georgian Orthodox Church Softens Stance
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 11 Jul.'11 / 21:49
The Georgian Church-led protest demonstration in Tbilisi on July 9.
Photo: Guram Muradov/Civil.ge
The Georgian Orthodox Church has toned down rhetoric over legislative
amendment on religious minorities' legal status and after two days of
protest marches called on believers to show calm.
A written statement by the Holy Synod, the Georgian Church's main
decision-making body, released after its meeting on July 11,
reiterates the Patriarchate's dissatisfaction that the legislative
amendment was passed hastily without proper consultations with the
Georgian Orthodox Church.
The decision, however, does not contain any calls for revoking the
legislative amendment or wording like `dangerous' and `contravening
the interests of Church and state', used by the Georgian Orthodox
Church previously in reference to those legislative amendments.
`Despite of reasons for anxiety, the Holy Synod calls on the clergy
and parish to keep calm and to refrain from any actions on their own
initiative, as well as to intensify praying for the unity of the
nation and for peace,' the decision reads.
While again expressing dissatisfaction that the decision was taken
without thorough consultations with the Church, the Holy Synod called
on the authorities: `In the future, when religion-related draft laws
or similar issues [emerge], hold consultations with the Georgian
Patriarchate beforehand in order to avoid any possible complications
taking in the view that the issue is delicate.'
After the meeting of Holy Synod, senior clerics from the Georgian
Church were saying that decisions had been taken based on `mutual
compromise' without going further into details. It has also emerged
that a ruling party lawmaker, Lasha Tordia, met with the Patriarchate
officials before the Synod released its decision.
`The mutual compromise means, that decision was taken through
agreement. Such a decision will be taken, which will contribute
positively to both the Church and the state,' Metropolitan Iobi of
Urbnisi and Ruisi told journalists after the Synod meeting.
Archbishop Seraphim of Borjomi and Bakuriani said after the Synod
meeting that MP Tordia, chairman of the parliamentary committee for
human rights assured Synod members that the legislative amendment on
legal status of religious minorities was not affecting negatively on
special status of the Georgian Orthodox Church envisaged by the
Georgian Constitution and a concordat signed with the state in 2002.
Archbishop Seraphim said that main source of concern had been a
question whether the recent legislative amendment was giving the same
rights, which the Georgian Church enjoys, to other religious groups.
`MP Lasha Tordia told the Synod, that the authorities were taking
responsibility, that with this law the government was not granting the
rights, similar to those of the Georgian Orthodox Church, to other
religious groups,' Archbishop Seraphim said.
The written decision of the Holy Synod says that `every religious
group in Georgia is equal before the law... and the Georgian Orthodox
Church's special legal status, defined by the constitution and the
constitutional agreement with the state [concordat], does not limit
freedom of faith of other religious groups.'
The Patriarchate has also called on the authorities to set up a
commission `to monitor implementation' of provisions of concordat.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=23736
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 11 Jul.'11 / 21:49
The Georgian Church-led protest demonstration in Tbilisi on July 9.
Photo: Guram Muradov/Civil.ge
The Georgian Orthodox Church has toned down rhetoric over legislative
amendment on religious minorities' legal status and after two days of
protest marches called on believers to show calm.
A written statement by the Holy Synod, the Georgian Church's main
decision-making body, released after its meeting on July 11,
reiterates the Patriarchate's dissatisfaction that the legislative
amendment was passed hastily without proper consultations with the
Georgian Orthodox Church.
The decision, however, does not contain any calls for revoking the
legislative amendment or wording like `dangerous' and `contravening
the interests of Church and state', used by the Georgian Orthodox
Church previously in reference to those legislative amendments.
`Despite of reasons for anxiety, the Holy Synod calls on the clergy
and parish to keep calm and to refrain from any actions on their own
initiative, as well as to intensify praying for the unity of the
nation and for peace,' the decision reads.
While again expressing dissatisfaction that the decision was taken
without thorough consultations with the Church, the Holy Synod called
on the authorities: `In the future, when religion-related draft laws
or similar issues [emerge], hold consultations with the Georgian
Patriarchate beforehand in order to avoid any possible complications
taking in the view that the issue is delicate.'
After the meeting of Holy Synod, senior clerics from the Georgian
Church were saying that decisions had been taken based on `mutual
compromise' without going further into details. It has also emerged
that a ruling party lawmaker, Lasha Tordia, met with the Patriarchate
officials before the Synod released its decision.
`The mutual compromise means, that decision was taken through
agreement. Such a decision will be taken, which will contribute
positively to both the Church and the state,' Metropolitan Iobi of
Urbnisi and Ruisi told journalists after the Synod meeting.
Archbishop Seraphim of Borjomi and Bakuriani said after the Synod
meeting that MP Tordia, chairman of the parliamentary committee for
human rights assured Synod members that the legislative amendment on
legal status of religious minorities was not affecting negatively on
special status of the Georgian Orthodox Church envisaged by the
Georgian Constitution and a concordat signed with the state in 2002.
Archbishop Seraphim said that main source of concern had been a
question whether the recent legislative amendment was giving the same
rights, which the Georgian Church enjoys, to other religious groups.
`MP Lasha Tordia told the Synod, that the authorities were taking
responsibility, that with this law the government was not granting the
rights, similar to those of the Georgian Orthodox Church, to other
religious groups,' Archbishop Seraphim said.
The written decision of the Holy Synod says that `every religious
group in Georgia is equal before the law... and the Georgian Orthodox
Church's special legal status, defined by the constitution and the
constitutional agreement with the state [concordat], does not limit
freedom of faith of other religious groups.'
The Patriarchate has also called on the authorities to set up a
commission `to monitor implementation' of provisions of concordat.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=23736