Patriarch Ilia II urges caution on declaring Orthodoxy as state religion, Eminence Grigol

The Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi, Eminence Grigol, announced after a meeting at the Patriarchate on Thursday that the Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II, had advised against rushing the discussion on declaring Orthodoxy as the state religion, as proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

He said the Patriarch’s position was conveyed by Shio Mujiri, the chairman of the meeting, who is the Patriarch’s ‘locum tenens.

“Any speculation, whether this is good or bad, requires serious discussion, analysis, and consultations with specialists.Today, we are not discussing making a decision. Whatever intentions the government has, they are presented to the church for consultation’, the Eminence told the press.

The ruling Georgian Dream party officials have claimed the proposal aimed at “protecting the church”, while the opposition criticized the move as an attempt to get “more points” ahead of the October 26 general elections.

The Georgian church is the second most trusted institution in the country after the army, while the Patriarch is the most trusted figure according to polls.