Saturday, December 6, 2025

Four detained at protests about artificial fertilization

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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

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Georgia's Patriarch criticizes artificial reproduction

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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

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Local government reform modified after criticism from patriarch

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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

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Georgian patriarch against local government reform

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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

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Georgian Patriarch Ilia II visits Moscow, meets Putin

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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

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Georgian patriarch to visit Russia July 23-30

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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.

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92% of Georgians trust Patriarch Ilia II

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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

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Georgian patriarch Ilia II visiting Moscow

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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

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