Translated material
Tbilisi intelligentsia demands an end to “discrimination against Georgian believers” in Moscow
Blagovest-info reports that on May 13, a letter was sent to thirteen patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops - primates of Orthodox autocephalous churches, in which representatives of the Tbilisi intelligentsia express their indignation at the situation that has developed in the Moscow church of St. George in Georgians - the only one in Moscow where divine services are held in Georgian. The day before, the director of the Center for the Study of Religious Issues Lado Gogiashvili, Professor of Tbilisi State University Zurab Kiknadze and Doctor of Theology Nodar Ladaria familiarized the journalists with the text of the message.
According to the authors of the letter, the rector of the church of St. George from the beginning of May took a course towards "methodically limiting services in the Georgian language" and "discrimination against the Georgian clergy and parishioners."
“Georgian parishioners are outraged that the rector appears during the liturgies not as an expression of Christian love, but as
an instrument of repressive politics," the document says. It is emphasized that the Moscow Patriarchate did not react to the protests of parishioners against the introduction of a phased ban on services in the Georgian language.
The authors of the message ask the heads of Orthodox autocephalous churches to help stop "the aggression of the Russian Orthodox Church against Georgia and Georgians."
Rector of the Church of St. vmch. George the Victorious in Georgia, priest Fyodor Krechetov denies accusations of oppression of Georgian believers. He sees the reason for these accusations in the fact that his appointment coincided with the aggravation of Russian-Georgian relations. Father Fyodor explained that two priests, Russian and Georgian, serve in the church every other week. The gospel is always read in two languages, hymns and readings are in Georgian, and services are also performed in Georgian. Once a week, a prayer service is performed to the Great Martyr George and all Georgian saints, also in Georgian. An evening of Georgian poetry was recently held at the Sunday school established at the temple. Only a sermon in Georgian does not happen at every service.
The assistant of the Metropolitan of the Georgian Orthodox Cepkvi of Tskhum-Abkhaz Daniil (Datuashvili) Mamuka Putkaradze also sees no reason for concern. "The former rector just died, and many, perhaps, wanted a Georgian to become rector," he said.
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