The Georgian Patriarchate has released a statement strongly criticizing the latest recommendations from the European Council, expressing concern that they place the country’s aspirations for European integration in direct opposition to Georgia’s traditional family values and laws protecting minors from LGBT propaganda.
“Unfortunately, the latest recommendations of the European Council now openly present an incompatible position, pitting support for family traditions and the protection of minors from LGBT propaganda on one side against the prospect of the country’s aspirations toward Europe on the other, causing disappointment among a significant portion of Georgia’s population,” the statement reads.
According to the Patriarchate, these recommendations have sparked serious concern among both the Orthodox Church and Georgian society. The criticism is focused on proposals that call for the repeal of laws aimed at preserving what the Church considers the sanctity of the family and protecting minors from non-traditional lifestyle propaganda.
The statement emphasizes that during numerous meetings with His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, European diplomats and officials had repeatedly assured Church leaders that Georgia’s integration into European structures would not come at the cost of its traditional and Christian values.
“It was always clearly stated,” the Patriarchate notes, “that no categorical demands or obligations contradicting our traditions would be imposed on the country’s path to European integration.”
The Patriarchate stresses that the European path can and should be pursued without compromising on religious principles. His Holiness Ilia II is quoted as having consistently underlined that Georgia’s alignment with Europe should not include the promotion of teachings that run counter to divine doctrine, including non-traditional lifestyles.
Referencing past dialogue, the Patriarchate highlights that the Georgian Orthodox Church had previously welcomed legislative measures protecting family values and youth, viewing them as essential for fostering a healthy society. The faithful community, according to the statement, continues to support these laws and sees them as aligned with both national identity and Christian morality.
In closing, the Patriarchate reiterates its disappointment with the new EU recommendations, asserting that they betray prior assurances and threaten to alienate a large segment of the Georgian population that upholds Christian and traditional family values.
