Patriarchate of Georgia says outsiders meddling in church matters

The Patriarchate of Georgia has accused unnamed actors of interfering in church affairs and attempting to create divisions within the Georgian Orthodox Church.

In an official statement, the Patriarchate said it had observed efforts by “ill-wishers” to influence public perception following a recent session of the Holy Synod.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing cases where ill-wishers of our church are doing everything possible to diminish in society the sense of justice regarding the meeting of the Holy Synod. Under the guise of supposed kindness and compassion, they stand up for hierarchs whom we respect and thus try to sow within the entirety of the Holy Church disagreements, grievances, and confrontation,” the statement said.

The comments come after the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church this week named three candidates for the patriarchal throne, a key step in the process of selecting a new church leader.

By Tamilla Hasanova