Metropolitan Iobi of Ruisi and Urbnisi has openly criticized the Georgian authorities as well as the clergy, stating that “the majority of them have become like bureaucrats.” His sermon from November 10 was published on the diocese’s Facebook page.
“What do we see today? Today we see that our government is unbelieving; it is far removed from the Church,” he declared, before continuing to criticize the clergy.
“Today, there is an evident attempt to merge the Church and the state. And how is this manifested?! In the fact that funding is allocated to the Church, and when clergymen live in comfort, acknowledging the truth becomes exceptionally difficult. It becomes very hard for a clergyman to act under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And we are certain of this. I will not speak for everyone, but today the majority of clergymen have become like bureaucrats: in their living conditions, in their standard of service. Many find it difficult to understand: you preach enduring hardships and poverty, you urge people to help others, yet you do not do so yourself—how, then, will parishioners, your spiritual children, listen? Thus, by merging with the authorities, a kind of massive caste has formed in Georgia. This must not be permitted under any circumstances.”
According to the metropolitan, every person ought to know “what each tetri is spent on, and where every single tetri goes.”
In his sermon, the cleric also recalled the so-called “SSG files,” the authenticity of which was confirmed by many individuals mentioned in them:
“I recall: before these ‘SSG files’ were published and made public—which was also done deliberately to strike a dagger into the Church, to destroy the Church, to undermine its authority—before they were made public, Bidzina Ivanishvili came forward and stated that the Patriarch could be criticized, that the Patriarch is also human, and that he too can make mistakes. It was right after this that the ‘SSG files’ followed. And what did this lead to?! Many people were led astray, and many stopped going to church.”
The files, allegedly leaked from the State Security Service (SSG), were circulated on September 12, 2021—just days before the local self-government elections. The materials contained transcripts of private conversations involving dozens of individuals, predominantly members of the clergy. Many of those implicated confirmed the authenticity of the contents of their conversations.
