Dan Everiss
<oregdan@hotmail.com> | Sat, Jun 18, 2016 at 2:54 PM |
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Comment: This is but only one analysis on the various but inter-related complicated matters discussed here.
What may be the ultimate and fully correct analysis, ...???
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"GEORGIA TODAY": For Whom the Bell Tolls… the Fight of the Churches, Round 2
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There
is great dissension within the Orthodox Christian community around the
globe. Four out of fourteen autocephalous churches, and the Georgian
among them, have chosen to boycott the Holy Council which will be held
in Greece. Russia was the last to refuse participation, which has given a
more political inclination to the whole process, aside from the
spiritual one. Those in the spiritual circles are already openly
discussing the fact that the confrontation between the Patriarchs of
Constantinople and Russia has been accelerated by the invitation of the
Council in Crete. Georgia supported Russia in this matter, and it seems
that, like our civil government, the spiritual one is also facing the
choice of Russia or the West.
On June 10th the Georgian Orthodox
Church decided not to participate in the Council at Crete. The minutes
of the Holy Synod suggest that several issues up for discussion in the
Council were categorically unacceptable for the Georgian Orthodox
Church, three of the six, in fact: “the reasons hindering marriage”,
“the mission of the Orthodox Church in the modern world” and the third
about changing some terminology. Despite the declared reason, the main
motive was not declared in the decision of the Synod, which is the
occupied territories and the authority of the Georgian Orthodox Church
in those regions.
Since the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
engaged in a “Religious War” with the Russian Orthodox Church for
spreading its influence in breakway Abkhazia, the relations between the
Churches of Georgia and Constantinople have been tense. Bartholomew I of
Constantinople supports the religious leaders working on the Mount of
Athos, who demand recognition of the autocephaly of the Abkhazian
Orthodox Church, unlike the religious leaders working in Sokhumi who
believe that the Abkhazian Church is part of the Russian Orthodox
Church. The Churches of Russia and Constantinople recognize de jure that
the Church of Abkhazia is within the canonical borders of the Georgian
Orthodox Church. However, their actions prove the opposite as religious
leaders visiting Abkhazia from Tbilisi are refused access.
So far,
the position of the Georgian Orthodox Church regarding the
ecclesiastical status quo in the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali is
not quite clear, as these territories are within the Georgian canonical
borders but are in reality governed by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Before being appointed as the Minister, Paata Zakareishvili believed
that if the influence of the Church of Constantinople increased in
Abkhazia, this status quo would be infringed and the Georgian Church
needed to be ready for it. “The Georgian Orthodox Church should decide
what we prefer, who should be exercising priesthood in Abkhazia? The
Church of Russia or Constantinople? A temporary authority should be
granted considering this issue,” Zakareishvili said.
As the events
developing around the Holy Council suggest, the Georgian Orthodox Church
has given the first open implication of support to Russia. However,
there might be an even bigger deal behind this choice, for example, the
recovery of Georgian priesthood in some of the Abkhazian churches in
Gali. Despite this hypothetic development of events, our demarche and
such obvious support for the Russian Church might prove a fatal decision
for Georgia’s Church. By taking this decision we choose to stand on the
side of Russia, practically opposing the Church of Constantinople. And
as an answer to this, if the Church of Constantinople develops the issue
of Abkhazian and South Ossetian Churches and grants them autocephaly,
Georgia will suffer a big blow, and probably a deserved one.
Zaza Jgarkava,
"GEORGIA TODAY", June 16, 2016 |
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ReplyDeletehttp://georgiatoday.ge/news/4030/Rifts-Divide-Orthodox-World-Ahead-of-Historic-Summit
Another interesting article from a few days ago in this same magazine, Georgia Today, but by a different journalist (American born), reveals the reason why MP wanted the (pseudo) 8th council to fail:
The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church has been swift to read the growing discord as a potentially fatal blow to the traditionally Greek-centered views of Bartholomew. The Moscow Patriarchate is positioning itself to gain from the possible collapse of the summit by encouraging close allies in the Caucasus and Balkans to follow its lead in boycotting the council altogether and encourage further disunity amongst the respective Orthodox churches.