Georgian Patriarchate condemns pressure to recognize OCU
The Georgian Patriarchate is under pressure from governmental and non-governmental forces to recognize the new Ukrainian nationalist church.
The Georgian Church has stated that it will base its eventual decision on the canon law of the Church, not on any national or ethnic considerations. For the Georgian Church, such pressure is unacceptable, according to the head of the Patriarchate’s press service Protopriest Andria Dzhagmaidze, reports “Interfax”.
“Increased pressure on our Church and clergy continues today under the call that supposedly those who do not support the new church structure in Ukraine have pro-Russian sentiments. Meanwhile, the question demands careful consideration, as in both the Greek and Slavic Churches, there is no unequivocal attitude towards it,” Fr. Andria said.
He also noted that the issue is being studied by the members of the Holy Synod and that the decision will be made solely on the basis of the canons.
At the end of 2018, the Synod of the Georgian Church postponed the discussion of the church situation in Ukraine to its next meeting. The head of the Georgian Church, Patriarch Ilia, stated that “the situation in Ukraine is extremely tense” and, in connection with it, the Church of Georgia “has no consensus and unanimity”.
