Last Sunday, a march marking the Day of Family Purity took place in Tbilisi. As part of this recently established public holiday, the new Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia delivered a sermon. In his speech, he effectively formalized a complete ideological alliance between the Church and the state.
The nine-minute sermon by the new head of the GOC (Georgian Orthodox Church) focused on the demographic challenges facing Georgia. Patriarch Shio spoke specifically about the “sin of abortion,” the threat of “foreign peoples,” and how the law must help the nation save itself.
His words sparked a mixed reaction in society. While human rights activists criticized the Patriarch for condoning repressive legislation, certain representatives of the ruling party expressed a desire to consult with him.
The Constitution of Georgia clearly separates the Church from state institutions. Nevertheless, in recent years, religious dogma has directly underpinned new controversial laws. Take, for instance, the Day of Family Purity.
The holiday was established by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II in 2014. The date was not chosen by chance: May 17th is observed worldwide as the International Day Against Homophobia. In the early 2010s, LGBT activists in Georgia attempted to hold their first rallies on this day. However, in 2013, a crowd of thousands staged a violent riot on Rustaveli Avenue, effectively blocking any such demonstrations for years to come.
A decade later, “Georgian Dream” (the ruling political party) officially declared May 17th a public holiday. Simultaneously, parliament passed a package of laws “On Family Values and the Protection of Minors.” These changes affected the Constitution and 18 other laws.
Now, the Church and the state have converged on the issue of existential threats to the nation, which, judging by the current trend, they may begin to “save” through further prohibitions.