The ruling party appears to be heading into a fight it may not be able to handle. In the spotlight is the influential Metropolitan Iobi of Urbnisi and Ruisi. In his latest sermon, he delivered a scathing rebuke of Georgian Dream, declaring that the current government has exhausted its potential.
On November 10, Metropolitan Iobi delivered a sermon at the Urbnisi Cathedral, a recording of which was later posted on the diocese’s Facebook page.
“Today we see that our government is unbelieving, unchurched. Attempts are being made to merge the state and the Church. This manifests in money being given [to the Church]. And when comfort is created for members of the clergy, it becomes exceedingly difficult to acknowledge the truth.”
In his address, the cleric accused the authorities of attempting to bring the Church under state control, of corruption, and of disregarding national interests. He specifically pointed to the Church’s financial dependence on the state, non-transparent spending, and problems within the ecclesiastical hierarchy itself. The metropolitan emphasized that the current government, whose rise to power he once supported, has run its course, and that Georgia needs more worthy leadership.
Father Iobi’s statements drew fierce criticism from members of Georgian Dream and its satellites. The metropolitan was accused of using the pulpit for political declarations, with officials insisting that the Church must not become a platform for political struggles.
The pro-government TV channel Imedi, in turn, launched a targeted campaign against the hierarch, broadcasting his past statements alongside critical assessments of his latest sermon. Tellingly, under Imedi’s social media posts, users largely rallied to the metropolitan’s defense.
To grasp the scale of these developments, context is critical. No secular government in Georgia can endure without the backing of the Church, which consistently remains the country’s most trusted and influential institution. After its 2012 election victory, Georgian Dream cultivated demonstratively close ties with the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) to reinforce its legitimacy. With each successive election cycle, direct state funding to the Church grew (exceeding 283 million GEL between 2020 and 2024 alone). New plots of land and real estate were routinely transferred to the GOC’s ownership.
Furthermore, Metropolitan Iobi of Urbnisi and Ruisi is an exceptionally powerful hierarch. He was one of three contenders for the patriarchal throne following the passing of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. During the vote, he was backed by nine members of the Holy Synod. Today, it is not only government critics and Imedi viewers who have spoken out in the cleric’s defense—numerous members of the clergy have rallied behind him as well. It is very likely that we are witnessing the opening chapter of a high-stakes confrontation.