Georgia May Declare Orthodoxy as State Religion

The authorities in Georgia are planning to declare Orthodoxy as the state religion and are discussing this issue with representatives of the clergy. This information was confirmed during a conversation with journalists by Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Public Relations Service of the Georgian Patriarchate.

Earlier, the opposition channel 'Formula' reported that the ruling 'Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia' party intends to declare Orthodoxy as the state religion. This is a constitutional amendment that the party had previously announced without specifying the exact nature of it.

The party's statement on August 20 mentioned the necessity of obtaining a constitutional majority based on the results of the parliamentary elections held on October 26. The document lists several points that require a constitutional majority. Among other things, the statement noted that negotiations within the ruling party are ongoing regarding one question, which will be revealed later.

“Such a proposal came from the authorities; in this case, we need to focus on the content.... This should be viewed in the context that the authorities want to further strengthen the role and status of the church,” said Jagmaidze.

He added that the phrase “to declare a state religion” is not particularly fundamental. He also confirmed that a meeting took place at the Patriarchate on August 26 with the participation of bishops; however, it was spontaneous, and not all diocesan leaders attended. Discussions are expected to continue on August 29.

After reports emerged in the media about the ruling party's plans to declare Orthodoxy as the state religion, several representatives of the clergy criticized this idea. In particular, Archbishop Zenon (Iarajuli) stated on his Facebook page that this implies the subordination of the church institution to the state. According to him, the nature of the church itself suggests that it does not represent an administrative body within the state system.

As the archbishop noted, this decision may aim to destroy the church institution and be an attempt to turn away from democratic governance of the state.

According to the current Constitution of Georgia, the state recognizes the special role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the country's history and its independence from the state. The relationship between the state and the church is regulated by a constitutional agreement signed in 2002 by then-President Eduard Shevardnadze and the All-Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.