Georgian Parliament Speaker calls EU attacks on Church a “red line”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. Photo: open sources

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has declared attacks by European Union representatives on the Georgian Orthodox Church unacceptable, the UOJ in Georgia reports.

Speaking with journalists, Papuashvili accused Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė of “preparing the ground” for a systematic campaign of harassment against religious institutions. The politician stressed that the authorities would not allow such actions to become the norm and called for immediate resistance to external pressure.

“We must draw a red line so that no representative of any European Union institution dares to attack the Georgian Church and its faithful,” the speaker said. In his view, “a strict and immediate response is vital so that such incidents do not become a precedent.”

Earlier, the Georgian Patriarchate revealed details of years-long pressure from Western structures. Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service, said EU officials had repeatedly demanded that the clergy help promote LGBT initiatives. According to the cleric, Europeans had for years tried to impose Church support for “same-sex marriages,” which is a fundamental “red line” for Georgian society.

As the UOJ reported, Vučić discussed the spiritual ties between the peoples of Serbia and Georgia with Patriarch Shio.

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