Georgian Church and Patriarch Ilia II personally can take credit for Georgian people being mentally ready for independence even before the Soviet Union collapsed, writes the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament on his Facebook page.

“The Georgian Orthodox Church was the primary venue of the national awakening and the rebirth of pro-independence movement in the 1970s and the 1980s. It was Patriarch Ilia II himself, who accepted many young dissidents among the ranks of his parish and nurtured their patriotic dreams for Georgia’s independence. Georgian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Ilia II personally can take credit for Georgian people being mentally ready for independence even before the Soviet Union collapsed. Hearing the accusations of being pro-Russian must be particularly painful to these early stalwart champions of Georgia’s independence.

Therefore, the radical opposition’s attempts to portray Georgian Orthodox Church as Russia’s extension in Georgia is not only inaccurate but also deplorable, leading to unnecessary controversy in the society and creating yet another dubious ‘perception’ among our Western partners. Ultimately, the Georgian Church and its leader, Patriarch Ilia II, enjoy overwhelming support and approval from the Georgian public. The radicals’ attack against the Church from the supposed ‘European’, ‘liberal’, or ‘Western’ pedestal not so much damages the Church but tarnishes the very idea of liberalism and the West among the public, because, following their hostile rhetoric, some people really start believing that the Western values are incompatible with Georgian traditions and faith.

Such rhetoric against the Church is not perceived by the Georgians as a case of progressive criticism of the outdated traditions. Quite the opposite. These attacks, for majority of Georgians, are reminiscent of the Bolshevik onslaught on the Church in the first decades of the Soviet rule, which destroyed much of Georgia’s spiritual and material heritage. It is not surprising that the radicals, especially from the United National Movement and its offspring parties, such as Droa, Girchi, Lelo, European Georgia and others, are often called neo-Bolsheviks among the public. It is paramount that the public does not equate these radicals with Western liberalism as they refer to themselves. Such perception may potentially damage Georgians’ overwhelming and, thus far, unwavering preference for integration with the European Union.

Georgian Dream does embrace the values of Georgian Church. Yet, the Government is strictly separated from the Church. Christian values that led us to independence from the Soviet Union over three decades ago, guide us now towards the next big stage in Georgia’s history, which is membership of the European Union. The real purpose of the radicals’ slanderous campaign is not to sincerely care about the church but to damage the Church, the Government, and, with them, undermine our joint historic endeavor”, - writes Shalva Papuashvili.