Tbilisi, December 12, 2024
Photo: aljazeera.com
The Georgian Orthodox Church has issued a strong statement addressing recent protest activities in Tbilisi, specifically condemning what it describes as blasphemous acts and occult rituals that took place during demonstrations in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue. The statement comes amid ongoing political tensions and public demonstrations in the Georgian capital.
In the official statement released yesterday, the Church expressed particular concern over protesters burning a coffin bearing an image of Christ. According to media reports, the coffin depicted the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, which won the recent Parliamentary elections in the country.
The Church emphasized that such blasphemous displays risk deepening societal divisions and stand in stark contrast to Georgia’s Christian heritage as “a country of martyrs.”
The Church has issued repeated statements calling for peace over the past two weeks, as thousands have taken to the streets of the capital.
After the ruling Georgian Dream Party won 89 out of 150 Parliamentary seats in October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution declaring the election fraudulent and demanding a new vote. In response, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the government will suspend talks on joining the European Union until 2028, after which the protests, which have given rise to several instances of violence, began.
The coffin that was burned has an image of Christ the Savior on it. Photo: 112.ua
The Georgian Church’s new statement reads:
Today, alongside the protest actions in society, hatred has reached its limit, and there is no visible readiness for bilateral dialogue and discussion, which would be desirable.
We are witnessing extreme manifestations of hatred. It is regrettable that matters have escalated to occult rituals and acts of sorcery. Additionally, during the spectacle in front of the Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, protesters used a coffin with an image of the Savior carved on it. During this performance, the protesters burned both the coffin and the image of the Savior.
It is deeply regrettable that such actions further divide society. This is deliberate blasphemy by those who organized these spectacles or knowingly participated in them, with greater responsibility falling on the organizers.
These and similar facts remind us of the difficult period of church raids and desecration that we experienced in our recent past. We think that some protesters found themselves involved in these actions without proper understanding, though in all cases, they should acknowledge the gravity of these acts and show appropriate repentance.
In Kashveti Church, clergy members stay up all night to help the protesters, and some protesters enter the church and pray with them. Naturally, similar rituals taking place near the church in parallel represent deliberate provocation and are also offensive to believers, regardless of whether they are among the protesters.
A Christian person should well understand that sorcery cannot be viewed as entertainment—it distances us from God, and we must be careful not to unwittingly become participants in occult worship.
Georgia is a country of martyrs for Christianity, and a path that tramples on holy things is destructive.
May the Lord grant us a wise heart, humility, and mutual love.
***
Mass protests erupted in Georgia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on November 28 that the country would abandon EU membership negotiations by 2028 and reject EU budget grants. The demonstrations, which began in Tbilisi and spread to other cities, is supported by President Salome Zurabishvili a French citizen and former French diplomat to Georgia, who joined protesters in front of Parliament and declared the current Parliament illegitimate. She has since been seen on social media calling for children and teenagers to join the protests--something acknowledged by other Georgians as deliberately putting children in danger of crowd trampling.
The police have been accused of using force to disperse protesters and making over 100 arrests. Likewise, fireworks, molotov cocktails, and other terrorist devices have been found in opposition headquarters raided by the police. Despite initial violent confrontations, protests have become more peaceful since December 5. Demonstrators have maintained their presence on Rustaveli Avenue, where they set up a Christmas tree decorated with EU, Georgian, Ukrainian, and U.S. flags, along with photos of journalists injured during the protests. Georgian new agencies have reported that 30% of the protesters were foreigners, with many Ukrainians involoved.
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