Consultations with Orthodox Church Successfully Completed, Ivanishvili Says

On August 31, in Ozurgeti, Ivanishvili addressed supporters during the pre-election campaign and clarified the content of another pre-election promise. According to him, the current constitution does not properly reflect the role that the Orthodox Church plays in the life of the country.

"In the past few days, we introduced you to the constitutional changes that we plan to implement after obtaining a constitutional majority, and we also mentioned that there was another issue on which we needed to consult to reach an agreement. The consultations with the Orthodox Church have been successfully completed, and we would like to present to you another constitutional amendment that our political team will implement after the elections.

As you know, Georgia is historically proud of its centuries-old tradition of religious tolerance on the one hand and of Orthodoxy on the other, which, along with land and language, is one of the main foundations of our identity. You are also well aware that attacks on the Orthodox Church do not cease, the purpose of which is to undermine Georgia's identity. It should also be noted that the constitutional document on religion and the church, in effect since 1995, does not adequately reflect the role that the Orthodox Church plays in the life of the country.

In order to further strengthen the constitutional status of Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church and to ensure that the constitutional text more accurately reflects the existing reality, the mission of Orthodoxy as a pillar of the identity of the Georgian state will be clearly reflected in the Constitution of Georgia. The special role of the Orthodox Church in the history of Georgia, as well as in the modernity of our country, will also be emphasized.

Of course, the Constitution of Georgia will fully affirm the principles of independence and freedom of belief of the Orthodox Church.

We would like to thank the Church, His Holiness and Beatitude, and the priests for supporting our initiative and, in general, for their contribution to the protection and preservation of Georgia's identity," said Bidzina Ivanishvili. During his speech, he stood next to the podium, which was surrounded by bulletproof glass.

Before the elections, Georgian Dream proposed to the Orthodox Church to declare Orthodoxy as the state religion. On August 29, after a meeting held at the Patriarchate, Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi, a member of the Holy Synod, said that it is the wish of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II that "this issue should not be discussed so hastily." As it turns out, on August 30, another meeting on this issue was held at the Patriarchate with the participation of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze said in a telephone interview with the Mtavari Arkhi television company that they discussed the second draft of the proposed constitutional amendments, which refers to further defining the role of the Orthodox Church and providing more support to the church.

"When it is written that 'the state recognizes the special role of the Orthodox Church in the history of Georgia, modernity should also be added; this role should not be limited only by history.

What will be written in the constitution, of course, requires further consultation. There is a clear position that the existing legal model of the relationship between the state and the church should remain in force," said the protopresbyter.

Based on the current constitution of the country, the state recognizes the special role of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia in the history of Georgia and its independence from the state. The relationship between the state and the church is determined by the constitutional agreement (concordat), which was approved by the parliament in 2002.