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(A comment from an article by Régiie Genté,
a free lance journalist who works in the Caucasus area)
Towards
the end of September 2003 an agreement between the Georgian State and the Vatican
failed to be stipulated because of strong complaints on the part of the Orthodox
Church of Georgia. The agreement was intended to guarantee a legal status to
the Catholic community of Georgia that numbers almost 50.000 members.
The day before the agreement the patriarch of the autocephalous Orthodox Church
of Georgia, Ilia II, declared that it was "deplorable that no consultation
whatsoever was entertained with the Orthodox Church, before the signing of the
agreement" and that "the consultation with the Patriarchate was a
moral right".
As a matter of fact there is no written condition that the state should consult
with the Church.
The Georgian Orthodox Church denies that it refuse to recognise other religions,
but, as a fact, it constantly places all kinds of obstacles against the realization
of such acts.
What is the deep reason for this?
Many outstanding persons have expressed themselves in this.
There is fear of the growing importance of the position of the Vatican which,
according to archbishop Zenon, "could enforce its influence in Georgia,
building many churches and opening seminaries".
At present the situation leans in favour of the Orthodox Church, considering
that, for example, six church buildings which were Catholic, are used by the
Orthodox Church, which does not seem to be ready to give them back, notwithstanding
numerous requests.
The opinion of the Patriarch is not motivated in details, but all the same it
sounds clear: "The signing of an agreement between the State of Georgia
and the Vatican is not desirable".
To understand the situation one has to think that Georgia, as all the states
belonging to the USSR, has suffered much during the communist dictatorship.
Religious freedom was practically abolished in that country, and the little
religious activity that was allowed, was controlled by the organization of the
Georgian Communist Party. Without means of survival, deprived of contact with
the international world, it has lived a period of stagnation also from the point
of view of theological research. After Communism, the Church has waken up as
from a long sleep. In the mean time the world society and in particular the
way the relationship between churches was conceived, have changed. The Georgian
Church could not do any journey in that direction. It had to unearth only its
own cultural, liturgical and theological patrimony. It did not have the blessing
of an ecumenical Council Vat II.
The close relationship between State and Church is also a characteristic trait of the Georgian Orthodox Christianity. The history of the two realities is chained together, in good and bad. In the popular mentality, all what comes through, from foreign countries, smacks of unauthorized infiltration, decadence, slackening of the traditional values incarnated in the ecclesiastical structures of the autocephalous Church.
To this we have to add the evidence, for all to see, of the enormous difference
between the power both organizational and economic of the Catholic Church and
the Orthodox Church. It is a delicate point. While the Christians of Georgia
need very badly the economic help for growing in the reconstruction of their
country and of the church structures, because of a diffuse poverty, - the aid
that comes from outside could appear to the eyes of some people an easy bait
for throwing oneself into the hands of the rescuers, beyond all the good intentions
of the donors.
This situation can be changed, within some years, through long dialogue, great
patience, and a preference to help the Orthodox Christians to serve their people,
rather than to create institutions put up by other organizations and churches.
There are people who have open minds, also among the Orthodox Christianity in
Georgia. A different future can be planned with these persons.
