Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has 65% approval rating among Georgians. TBILISI, DFWatch--A recently retired prime minister is one of Georgia's most popular politicians, according to a new survey published by the International Republican Institute (IRI) on Monday. Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned in February citing disagreement with his party colleagues over the detention of UNM leader [...]
Petre Tsaava surrounded by journalists at the gates of Patriarchate where a session of the Holy Synod was held. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--A session of the Holy Synod in Tbilisi has shocked the entire nation, as one of its members accused the spiritual leader and most popular person in the country, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, of [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Tbilisi court on Tuesday sentenced a high ranking cleric to nine years in prison for trying to kill the patriarch’s personal secretary with poison. The case has sent shock waves through Georgian society and revealed divisions within one […]
Edisher Karchava. (ambebi.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A lawyer for the Georgian church claimed on Monday that there is a plot to assassinate the head of the church, involving high-level clerics. One of the clerics implicated in the attempt on Patriarch’s life is Metropolitan Petre Tsaava, according to […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A high profile trial of a Georgian priest accused of planning to murder the patriarch’s personal secretary got off to a dramatic start Friday as the defendant left the courtroom in protest and asked his lawyers to do the same. This was the first hearing […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A priest is being put on trial in Georgia for planning to use poison to murder a close adviser to Patriarch Ilia II, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church. As the case files were handed over to the court on Thursday, the Prosecutor General’s Office wrote in a statement that […]
Prosecutor Jarji Tsiklauri at the briefing. (POG.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia on Wednesday presented its theory of how a priest allegedly was planning to murder an adviser to Patriarch Ilia II, backing the allegations up by secretly obtained videos. The central part of the evidence […]
Patriarch Ilia II and Soso Okhanashvili. (Tabula.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In the latest twist in the scandal about an alleged assassination plot within the Georgian Church, the head of the patriarch’s security detail confirmed Sunday that he has resigned from his post. “I went to his holiness… [and] asked for his blessing to left the position,” […]
Prime Minster Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians are reacting to the detention of an Orthodox priest whom prosecutors accuse of trying to poison a high church official, widely believed to be the head of the Georgian Church. The story immediately went viral in Georgia, where the Orthodox Church […]
Patriarch Ilia II (left) and Patriarch Kirill meeting in Moscow in July, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Patriarch Ilia II joined other Eastern Orthodox leaders in Moscow on Sunday to attend the 70-year anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Patriarchate of Georgia, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II was invited by the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of orthodox Christian parents in Georgia are planning to demonstrate against Pope Francis during his visit the coming week. The group is called the Union of Orthodox Parents and is well-known among locals for its confrontational style and conservative views. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Orthodox Church issued a short statement Sunday evening explaining that Patiarch Ilia II never meant to ask for legislative amendments to grant him the right to pardon prisoners. December 5, the patriarch attended a performance by women prisoners at Rustaveli Theatre, […]
Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church has asked for the power to pardon prisoners. Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II said Saturday that he thinks a patriarch should be able to pardon prisoners and added that he has spoken with the prime minister […]
Sakdrisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The influential Georgian patriarch on Sunday criticized a company which is excavating an ancient mine in the southern part of the country, and called on the government to intervene. Mining company RMG Gold on Saturday resumed work at Sakdrisi, […]
Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Patriarch Ilia II has met with Viktor Gamm, vice president of Billy Graham Evangelical Association which faced some hurdles when it organized Festival of Hope in Tbilisi. The patriarch expressed his sorrow about the way the organizers […]
Last year’s conservative demonstrators against the LGBT event May 17, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There will be no gathering in Georgia today to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Instead, the Church and conservative groups plan a number of demonstrations to celebrate the recently announced day of family values. At […]
Patriarch Ilia II (seated, left) remains highly liked in Georgia, while former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has had a drop in popularity. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new poll published by National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows that Patriarch Ilia II remains the most liked person in Georgia. 96 percent of those asked say the like the patriarch. 61 percent say they like Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament; […]
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Orthodox Church is opposed to a draft anti-discrimination bill, which is currently making its way through parliament. Clerics there want to remove ‘sexual orientation’ from the text. But human rights activists and Tbilisi-based NGOs […]
Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Patriarch’s Christmas epistle continues to cause controversy in Georgia. Not only in vitro fertilization and the use of surrogate mothers, but also what he wrote about sexual minorities. “It’s a pity that minority groups, that have sharply […]
Human rights activists are reacting to a sermon by Georgia’s Patriarch criticizing in vitro fertilization and the use of surrogate mothers. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four persons were detained on Wednesday after several incidents during two counter-rallies held at the main office of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Patriarchate. Participants at one rally came to protest against an epistle by the Georgian Patriarch […]
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Patriarch’s Christmas epistle is causing a reaction among human rights groups in the country. In the epistle, which was published yesterday night, Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II talks about children who were born to surrogate mothers. He […]
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili has managed to convince the government to amend a disputed passage in a draft bill about local government reform, as promised. The government prepared a draft law to regulate the country’s territorial […]
Ilia II, Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian parliament has postponed the adoption of a landmark bill that will drastically change local government, after the draft Self-Governance Code was harshly criticized by the influential head of the Georgian Church. The bill should have been […]
Patriarch of Russia Kirill I (left) and Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II, who visited Russia for the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, met with the Russian Patriarch Kirill I and invited him to Georgia. The meeting was held in Moscow on July 23 at the Russian Patriarchate to discuss […]
Patriarch Ilia II during his last visit to Russia earlier this year. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Patriarch will visit Russia for the 1025th epiphany anniversary. Events for the anniversary will be held in Moscow, Kyiv and Minsk. Patriarch Ilia II will visit all three cities accompanied by a Georgian delegation July 23-30. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Muslims in an eastern Georgian village are still not able to live their lives normally, as Friday prayer was disrupted again in Samtatskharo. Neither local Muslims or Muslims from the other regions came to pray yesterday. Parmen Tsetskhladze, […]
Patriarch Ilia II has long been the most trusted person in Georgia. (Photo courtesy of the Georgian Orthodox Church.) TBILISI, DFWatch–92 percent of Georgians say they like Patriarch Ilia II, who for many years has been the most trusted person in the country. According to a new survey published by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Monday, 75 percent say they like Prime […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Illia II on Wednesday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and passed on greetings from Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Vladimir Putin hosted Illia II and Kirill I of Russia at suburban residence in Novo […]
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (left), welcoming Georgian Patriarch Ilia II (right) in Moscow Jan. 20, 2013. (Photo published by the Russian Church.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Patriarch Illia II on Sunday left for Russia to receive an award. His visit will also include a meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin. “I want to ask you that I leave for Moscow and we will have a conversation on very […]
190 political prisoners were released last Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Political prisoners, who were released last Sunday when the new amnesty law came into force, visited the Georgian Patriarch, who blessed them. The prisoners came to Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi to attend the prayer for the Orthodox holiday of Epiphany, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Clerics from different Orthodox countries will leave today, Monday. The guests arrived five days ago in order to congratulate Georgian Patriarch Ilia II with his 80th birthday and 35th year since his inauguration. Patriarch Bartholomew I of […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A large number of clerics from different Orthodox countries will start gathering in Tbilisi tomorrow to mark the 80-year jubilee of the Georgian Patriarch Illia II. Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is among the guests arriving in Georgia […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Ilia II will visit Russia in the end of January to receive a special award. He is to receive the Russian Church’s International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations, which is granted annually as a recognition […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Ilia II hosted Israeli Ambassador Yuval Fuchs and his wife at the Patriarch’s residence in Mtskheta, close to the capital. Fuchs thanked Illia II for his merits in deepening relations between the two states in regards to […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian patriarch on Sunday stated that he expects Monday’s election to be without fraud and that people will vote for who they want. Numerous polls have shown Patriarch Illia II to be the most trusted person in Georgia, scoring higher than […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Patriarch, Ilia II, told foreign diplomats that their assistance is needed for the difficult election period his country is heading into. Ilia, who has great influence among the population, appealed to the diplomats during a ceremony Friday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Patriarch congratules Vladimir Putin with having been elected as president of Russia. Polls have shown Patriarch Ilia II to be the most respected person among the Georgian population. His administration has published the text of the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch - It was a moment heavy with symbolism when Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and Patriarch Ilia II emerged from their meeting Tuesday. “We are pleased that Ivanishvili visited the Antioch today. We have discussed a number of issues, especially the future of Georgia and its current condition. I think everything will be all right,” [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch - The main challenger in Georgian politics Tuesday consulted with the country's highly respected patriarch, and received advice about his further steps to claim power. Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, Georgia's most respected person, met Bidzina Ivanishvili Tuesday at 6 pm, and the businessman afterwards said he received many tips which will help him in his [...]
