Georgian Orthodox Church Faces Unprecedented Political Pressure
Tbilisi, Georgia – Beka Mindiashvili, an elderly theologian, stands disheartened as he witnesses dwindling congregations at Saint George’s Church of Kashveti, a spiritual cornerstone in Georgia’s capital. As the Orthodox Church’s role in Georgian identity becomes increasingly entangled with politics, Mindiashvili fears for the future of faith and trust in the institution.
In the recent parliamentary elections on October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream party emerged victorious, securing 53.9% of the vote and signaling potentially controversial changes ahead. Among its proposals is amending the Constitution to establish Orthodoxy as the state religion—an unprecedented move for Eastern Churches and a significant step toward intertwining religion and governance.
Mindiashvili warns that this shift could enable the government to exert tighter control over the Patriarchate and potentially align it more closely with the Russian Orthodox Church. Political maneuvers to influence the church have been ongoing since Georgia’s independence in 1991, but Mindiashvili suggests that never before has the pressure been as intense.
The Patriarch, Ilia II, has publicly opposed the proposed constitutional changes, but his stance represents a minority within the church. A considerable number of bishops, influenced by Bishop Shio Mujiri and the Department of Public Affairs, advocate for a stronger Orthodox presence aligned with Moscow, fostering an anti-Western sentiment that contradicts the pro-European inclinations of Georgian society.
As partisan divisions grow, concerns mount over the future leadership of the church, particularly following Ilia II’s inevitable decline. With the potential for factions sympathetic to Moscow gaining traction, Georgian Dream’s claim for a greater Church role raises alarms about preserving the delicate balance of power traditionally upheld between church and state in the region.
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