Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service has issued a statement alleging that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is attempting to influence the selection of a new head of the Georgian Orthodox Church by backing two potential candidates.
Based on the statement released by the press bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, the Ecumenical Patriarch is continuing efforts to expand his influence within global Orthodoxy and is seeking to bring the Georgian Church under his authority.
The SVR claims that Bartholomew is considering Metropolitan Abraham (Garmelia), who serves Western Europe, and Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi as preferred candidates for the position.
The statement further alleges that the Patriarch is pursuing a “divide and rule” strategy, and accuses him of interfering in the internal affairs of one of the world’s oldest Orthodox churches. It also references similar tensions in Ukraine, Serbia, and the Baltic region.
The claims have not been independently verified.
