Tbilisi, July 6, 2021
Photo: sputnik-georgia.com
The Georgian Orthodox Church has issued several statements calling for the peaceful, prayerful protest of the Tbilisi Pride events that were held over the past week. The LGBT organization initially planned for its events to culminate in a “March of Dignity” yesterday in Tbilisi.
It is unacceptable to admire sin, but it is also to hate and do violence against anyone else, the Church stated on June 29. A few days later, the Patriarchate announced that a moleben prayer service would be held on July 5, “in order that peaceful protest of people is not transformed into violent confrontation.”
Unfortunately, however, there were individual voices from Orthodox people calling for violence, and violence did erupt on the streets of Tbilisi, leaving several people injured and several people arrested. The chaos did result in the LGBT march being canceled, but at the same time, the Church is being widely blamed for the violence in the media.
Given the situation, the Georgian Patriarchate made two more statements yesterday condemning the violence, and assuring that those who called for violence would be dealt with.
In the first statement yesterday morning, the Patriarchate “reminds those gathered to protest the so-called ‘march’ that our current procession and gathering should be peaceful and focused only on prayer.”
While the Church opposes sin and the “propagation of immorality,” it also prays for those involved in such activity.
“Christianity calls for peace and mutual love,” the Patriarchate emphasizes, and thus calls on all to refrain from any aggressive physical or verbal confrontations, “so that all this does not lead to any escalation and does not affect our compatriots, regardless of their different views and beliefs, profession, or social situation.”
Thus, the violence against journalists on the streets of Tbilisi is “totally unacceptable,” the Church unequivocally declares.
“We must remember that even the injury of one person threatens not only him but also the whole community and goes against Christian teaching,” the statement concludes.
In its second statement yesterday, the Patriarchate reiterates that it has always called for peace, and that it prays for all who have been injured.
“We believe that violence is unacceptable and condemnable, no matter where it comes from. That is why we will have a proper response to the clergy who incite violence, if any,” the statement reads.
At the same time, the Church reminds that the LGBT events were the “propaganda of an unconventional lifestyle and contained signs of moral, psychological and ideological violence against our population and the next generation,” and thus, such violent incidents were easily predictable.
The Patriarchate reminds that it warned the U.S. and EU embassies about such consequences of their support for LGBT propaganda events, though, “Unfortunately, both ours and the people’s opinions were ignored.”
The Patriarchate reminds that according to the European Convention on Human Rights, when exercising freedoms and rights, national and public safety must also be taken into account “to suppress public disorder or crime, to protect health or morality, to protect the rights or dignity of others…”
Thus, it is the organizers and supporters of Tbilisi Pride, who knowingly put people in danger, “without taking into account the currently reality in the country,” who must first take responsibility for the violent incidents.
Georgia has endured many severe trials in recent decades, “but it cannot tolerate moral degeneration,” the Patriarchate stresses.
Finally, the Church emphasizes that attempts to accuse the Church of escalating problems are “not true at all.”
“Our goal is to serve God and our people as best we can… God is with us!” the statement concludes.
In his sermon following the Church’s peaceful prayer service held yesterday, His Eminence Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsqu, the Locum Tenens of the Georgian Patriarchal throne, made many of the same points, emphasizing that “we cannot accept and condone this violence,” while assuring that the Church will always stand against the propagation of sin.
“According to the teachings of our Church, we never disparage people who have fallen into sin; on the contrary, the Church is tolerant of them, always ready to accept and embrace the repentant sinner, but the Church will never tolerate declaring and legalizing sin as the norm,” His Eminence said with the compassionate voice of the Church.
Watch a clip from the Church’s peaceful prayer service:
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