Tbilisi, July 5, 2021
patriarchiate.ge
On June 29, the Georgian Orthodox Church issued a statement strongly opposing the LGBTQ events that are currently being held in Tbilisi, warning against attempts to normalize sin against the wishes of the population.
Seeing that its plea was ignored, the Church issued another statement on Saturday, denouncing Western governments’ interference in the public and spiritual life of Georgia, and announcing a prayer service to be held this evening to “show the world that we are defending our dignity and that any attempt to degenerate our people is utterly unacceptable to us.”
The statement reads in full:
In the statement issued on 29 June of the current year, the Patriarchate of Georgia addressed the organizers of “Tbilisi Pride” and the heads of embassies accredited in Georgia with a call to refrain from supporting LGBTQ+ propaganda activities in order to maintain stability and civil peace in the country.
We hoped that they would not ignore the choice of the vast majority of our society, but the events of recent days have clearly shown the intense pressure which is being exerted on the country.
The drastic interference of certain embassies and some of the members of the European Parliament in our public and spiritual life is a matter of severe concern and unacceptable for our Church and our citizens, and we believe that it is an abuse of their authority.
Furthermore, we declare once again that the goal of the so-called “Pride” is to propagate a perverted lifestyle that damages the consciousness of the young generation and the generations to come.
This action causes tension and unrest among our people, regardless of their nationality or religion, and the responsibility for all this lies with the organizers and supporters of these activities.
We address our population with a call not to follow deliberate provocations, and in order that peaceful protest of people is not transformed into violent confrontation let us gather at Kashveti Church of St. George on 5 July, at 5pm, to hold a prayer service to the Most Holy Virgin and show the world that we are defending our dignity and that any attempt to degenerate our people is utterly unacceptable to us.
Tamaz Sozashvili, the founder of Tbilisi Pride, openly celebrated the role of U.S. and EU diplomats in pushing the LGBT agenda in Georgia:
???? Happy Independence Day, USA! ????️???? Happy Pride, Tbilisi Georgia! The support from US and EU diplomats is essential for making @TbilisiPride March (July 5) happen successfully and safely! #TbilisiPride21 pic.twitter.com/bQCWrMyHP4
— Tamaz Sozashvili (@TamazSozashvili) July 4, 2021
The Georgian Church has repeatedly raised its voice against the destructive influence of Western powers that back such events.
“It is clearly evident who is controlling the processes in Georgia,” Archpriest David Isakadze commented concerning the LGBT events in 2019. “We truly want to be an independent country, not in word, but in deed. The U.S. authorities, in the person of the ambassador directly interfere in our internal affairs. She wants to control the processes here and exacerbate the situation, knocking people against one another.”
The United States and various European countries actively fund institutions that sow hatred against the Orthodox Church and promote the LGBT agenda in Georgia, and the country needs to seriously rethink its pro-western orientation, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Vani and Bagdati warned last year.
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