Civil Georgia

Georgian Orthodox Church Calls for Anti-Abortion Law

May 6, 2013 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi – 6/5/13 Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, has called on the Georgian authorities in his Easter epistle for adopting anti-abortion law, saying that it would contribute to resolving country’s “grave demographic situation.” “Abortion is a heinous murder of an innocent creature committed with a decision and intent of parents. [...]

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Ivanishvili on Georgian Orthodox Church

April 11, 2013 Featured News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi – 10/4/13 PM Ivanishvili said on April 10 that “problems exist” in the Georgian Orthodox Church too and speaking publicly on these issues should not be a taboo. Ivanishvili was speaking during a press conference, held for a group of senior editors from some print media and major television channels. He made [...]

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Abkhaz Leader Meets Georgian, Russian Top Orthodox Clerics

March 30, 2013 Featured News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi – 29/3/13 Senior clerics from the Georgian and Russian Orthodox Churches met Abkhaz leader Alexander Ankvab in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, close to breakaway Abkhazia, on March 28. News about the meeting was first reported by the Moscow Patriarchate’s foreign relations department in its press release on March 28. Georgian [...]

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Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Visits Georgia

January 12, 2013 Featured News
The spiritual leader of the world

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi -12/1/13 Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I visits Tbilisi on the occasion of 80th birthday of the Georgian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Ilia II, and of 35th anniversary of the Georgian Patriarch’s enthronement. Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej and interim leader of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Cyril of Varna and Veliki Preslav [...]

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Putin Congratulates Georgian Orthodox Church Leader

January 12, 2013 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi – 12/1/13 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin congratulated Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II on his 80th birthday and 35th anniversary of enthronement. Putin says in the message, posted on the Russian President’s website on January 11, that Patriarch Ilia II’s leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church is “exemplary” and his contribution to [...]

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Church Leader Calls Against ‘Misuse’ of Prison Abuse Case

September 26, 2012 News

25/9/2012 Civil Georgia Georgian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Ilia II, has called on “everyone not to misuse” prison abuse case for “humiliation of Georgia”. “Developments of the recent days are a huge shame for our nation and for our country,” he said earlier on September 21 in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. “Things like [...]

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Georgian, Azerbaijani FMs Discuss Disputed Border Section in Monastery Complex Area

May 20, 2012 Featured News
Davit Gareji Monastery‎

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 19/5/2012 Georgian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers held a phone conversation on May 17 to discuss a recent controversy, caused after repositioning of Azerbaijani border guards on May 6 in a disputed border section running through Davit Gareji monastery complex, no longer allowing visitors from Georgia to access some of the sites of [...]

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Interior Ministry Says It Helped Secure Release of Georgian Monk from Captivity in Abkhazia

February 12, 2012 News

Civil Georgia 12/2/2012 The Georgian Interior Ministry said in a brief statement on February 11 without providing further details, that a Georgian priest-monk was released “after 25 days of captivity on the occupied territory of Abkhazia as a result of efforts” undertaken by the Ministry. Last month the Georgian media sources reported, that priest-monk Iona, [...]

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Head of Georgian Church Meets Ivanishvili

December 26, 2011 Featured News
Patriarch Ilia II in his residence shows Bidzina Ivanishvili and his wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze a new, large triptych-type icon. Photo: Ivanishvili’s press office.

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 25/12/2011 Head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, met on December 24 in the Patriarchate with billionaire philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili for the second time since the latter went into the politics. “I will tell you briefly about developments since our last meeting [in November],” Ivanishvili, who came to the Patriarchate together [...]

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Georgian Church Leader Meets Ivanishvili

November 16, 2011 Featured News
Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II and Bidzina Ivanishvili after the meeting in the Patriarchate on November 15. Photo: InterPressNews

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 15/11/2011 Billionaire-turned-politician, Bidzina Ivanishvili, met with Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II in the Patriarchate on Tuesday evening. After the meeting the Patriarch and Ivanishvili appeared jointly before the press to make brief statements. “We are glad that Bidzina Ivanishvili came to the Patriarchate. We talked about many issues, especially [...]

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Georgia Church Leader: Ivanishvili Should Have Georgian Citizenship

November 13, 2011 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 13/11/2011 Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, said President Saakashvili should restore billionaire philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian citizenship, which he has lost following his announcement about going into politics last month. “There is much talk about whether Bidzina Ivanishvili should have or not the Georgian citizenship. Of course he should [...]

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Four Groups Registered For Now Under New Law of Legal Status of Religious Minorities

September 28, 2011 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 28/9/2011 Four religious groups have so far been registered as legal entities of public law, as a result of legislative amendment approval of which this summer triggered two days of Georgian Orthodox Church-led protest marches. All-Georgia Muslim Administration becoming the first religious group to be registered under the new provisions in July. [...]

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Georgian, Russian Patriarchs Meet in Kiev

July 27, 2011 Featured News

Video of the Meeting Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 27/7/2011 Reiterating Georgian Church’s authority over breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian Patriarch Kirill said after meeting with Georgian Orthodox Church leader Ilia II in Kiev, that talks would continue to address “canonical disorder” in those regions. The two Patriarchs met on July 26 in the Ukrainian capital, [...]

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President’s Spokesperson: ‘We Appreciate Firm Ties with Church’

July 12, 2011 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 12/7/2011 The Georgian state will never take a step, which will be in conflict with “firm relations” the state and the Georgian Orthodox Church have, Manana Manjgaladze, the Georgian President’s spokesperson said on July 12. “We appreciate a firm relationship, which traditionally exists between the state and the Church. These relations are [...]

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Georgian Church Slams Law on Religious Groups’ Legal Status

July 6, 2011 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 6/7/2011 A legislative amendment allowing religious minority groups to be registered as legal entities of public law “contravenes interests of both the Church and the country,” the Georgian Orthodox Church said in a statement late on July 5. “We believe, that this law will bring negative consequences in the nearest future and [...]

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Armenian Church Leader Visits Georgia

June 10, 2011 News

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi 10/6/2011 The leader of Armenia’s Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, arrived in Georgia on June 10. Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, told the Armenian Church leader in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi that the visit “is very important for us, as well as for Armenia.” “I am sure [...]

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