Restless Georgia: Zourabichvili vs. Shio III Article by Vladimir Tskhvediani

Following the election and enthronement of the new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Shio III, the pro-Western opposition launched attacks against both the newly installed primate and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

On May 17, 2026, on the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents, Patriarch Shio III spoke in defence of family values, against abortion, and in support of large families. Former President Salome Zourabichvili, who is effectively leading the opposition, launched criticism against the new Patriarch.

“If a serious sin is present in the family, such as abortion, then a family cannot build any happiness on such a foundation. Such a family is doomed, because as we know from the Bible, ‘the blood of the slain cries out to God for vengeance. On the contrary, where a child is born once every two or three years, there is happiness, because through its existence it warms and brightens everything around it,” Patriarch Shio III said in his sermon.

Salome Zourabichvili, taking the words out of context, issued a sharp response to Patriarch Shio III, appealing to emotion.

“Is such a family doomed? Such merciless words, such a harsh sentence… Leaving no hope for either God’s infinite love or the salvation of man through faith???!!!” Zourabichvili wrote on social media.

It is not surprising to see former French citizen and Foreign Ministry employee Salome Zourabichvili taking such a position on abortion. It should be recalled that in 2024, France became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution. French President Emmanuel Macron called this decision a “French pride” and a signal to the world.

At the same time, strong opposition to abortion also exists within conservative circles in the West. In the United States, for example, abortion is largely restricted in states that traditionally vote for conservative Republicans.

As for the opposition’s attacks on the Georgian Orthodox Church, Salome Zourabichvili has previously taken similar positions during the tenure of Patriarch Ilia II. In the spring of 2024, on the eve of opposition-organised protests, she stated that the situation within the Georgian Orthodox Church was “very difficult” due to the “weakness” of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. At that time, Zourabichvili also expressed hope that in the future the Georgian Orthodox Church would adopt a pro-Western rhetoric and “elect a pro-Georgian and pro-European Patriarch rather than a pro-Russian one,” clearly implying alleged “pro-Russian” tendencies in Ilia II’s leadership.

The barely concealed hostility of opposition leaders toward the Georgian Orthodox Church played a significant role in the opposition’s defeat in the parliamentary elections of October 2024. The opposition’s attempts to “win over” part of the clergy during the protests organised in 2024 and 2025, as well as during attempts to carry out a so-called “Maidan-style” coup, also ended in complete failure. With the exception of a few individuals who do not enjoy particular authority or popularity, the clergy did not support these opposition actions.

The funerals of Ilia II and the number of people who came to pay their respects, compared to the turnout at opposition rallies, demonstrated where Georgian society’s true sympathies lie.

The election of the new Patriarch also ended in a defeat for the opposition, although opposition media outlets attempted to portray Shio as allegedly “pro-Russian” and to complicate his election. Ultimately, opposition leaders have now ceased to hide their fundamental hostility toward the Georgian Orthodox Church and are seeking any pretext to attack it.

His first solemn liturgy in the capacity of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Shio III, was conducted on May 17, on the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents — a holiday established by Ilia II in 2014. It was created as an alternative to what liberals promote worldwide as the so-called “Day Against Homophobia,” which is often accompanied by “gay pride parades.” This alone became a reason for attacks from leaders of the pro-Western opposition against the new Patriarch, something that was also reflected in Salome Zourabichvili’s response.

“The Church, in the minds of our liberals, is merely a ‘conservative thorn’ preventing Georgia from joining Europe — and nothing more. All these statements are not made for the congregation of the Georgian Orthodox Church, but for a radically pro-Western political segment and for external actors who today determine who in Georgia is ‘good’ and who is ‘bad’. These are simply signals being sent beyond Georgia,” believes Georgian political analyst Archil Sikharulidze.

Regarding the position of the Georgian Orthodox Church on family values, it continues to enjoy support among broad segments of the population. According to Georgian political analyst Archil Sikharulidze, conservatism and the defence of the family are understood not only by Orthodox Christians in Georgia, but also by Muslims.

“Patriarch Shio, who consistently speaks about the priority of traditional values and the institution of the family, is also a comfortable figure for Georgian Muslims. For them, this means that a favourable living environment will be preserved in Georgia and that no ‘liberal revolution’ will take place,” noted Sikharulidze.

Salome Zourabichvili and other opposition leaders, through their criticism of Patriarch Shio and the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), risk further losing support and understanding within Georgia’s generally conservative society. However, this does not appear to concern them greatly. They are in need of external backing in order to carry out a “revolution” and impose a liberal agenda on the country.

In pursuit of such support, opposition leaders are likely to continue using any “symbolic” issues as a pretext to attack the Georgian Orthodox Church and the country’s conservative segments of society.

By Vladimir Tskhvediani, Georgia, exclusively for Caliber.Az