Tbilisi, December 27, 2018
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi. Photo: cdn.mygeotrip.com The Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church met in Tbilisi today, and as OrthoChristian previously reported, among the topics of discussion was the crisis situation surrounding the Ukrainian Church.
However, the Synod stated that it expects further developments in Ukraine regarding the issue of autocephaly and that it will announce its position in January at the next session of the Holy Synod, reports RIA-Novosti.
“We will wait for the development of events and make a decision on the Ukrainian Church at the next session of the Synod,” said His Eminence Metropolitan Petre of Chkondidi and Martvili, adding that “the Georgian Orthodox Church will support all just decisions.”
Romfea adds that another member of the Synod, His Eminence Metroplitan Zosima of Tsilkani and Dusheti, told reporters that “the Church of Georgia supports autocephaly.”
Following an October meeting between His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia and Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andrei Paruby, the Georgian Church released a statement refuting false information circulating in the Ukrainian media. The statement noted that if autocephaly is granted via the appropriate means, the Georgian Church would welcome it, but that it does not seem likely.
According to RIA-Novosti, Met. Zosima also told reporters that the Synod still decided to wait for the “resolution of the Ecumenical Patriarch.”
Romfea also received information that the views of the Synod members were divided, resulting in no formal decision being made yet.
The Georgian Church posted a statement in late September saying that the situation in Ukraine is very delicate and thus it needed to be worked out between the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople. While the Georgian Synod has not taken a formal stance on the issue, it is known that His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II strongly opposes Constantinople’s interference in Ukraine.
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