Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili, recently removed from his post at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord in Lower Bethlehem, announced on social media that he will continue addressing the public from Rustaveli Avenue.
“They took away my ambo; from now on, my ambo will be Rustaveli Avenue. Every day — until the end,” Kurashvili wrote.
“Every Thursday at 13:00, I used to hold services at the Lower Bethlehem Chapel, but they took away my ambo, and I can no longer meet people in the temple. From now on, my ambo will be Rustaveli Avenue. I await you all, starting at 20:00 today,” he added.
The statement follows the decision of the Mtskheta-Tbilisi Diocesan Commission, which found that Kurashvili had continued disciplinary and moral violations, including defamatory statements and conduct unbecoming of a clergyman.
The Commission appealed to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, who issued a decree relieving Archimandrite Kurashvili of his duties as head of the Bethlehem church and assigning him to priestly service at the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Lavra, where he remains a member.
Related story: Georgian Patriarchate Transfers Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili after Clash over Church Discipline and Politics
