Georgian Church responds to RF SVR claims of Phanar election meddling

Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze. Photo: interpressnews

The Georgian Patriarchate has commented on a statement by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service alleging that Patriarch Bartholomew is seeking to influence the election of the next primate of the Georgian Church, the Georgian branch of the UOJ reports.

Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate’s public relations service, said that interference in the patriarchal election by any Local Church would be “unthinkable and utterly impossible.”

According to the priest, “the grounds for this information that has been circulated are unknown.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Russian intelligence officials, Patriarch Bartholomew allegedly “wants to bring the Georgian Orthodox Church under his influence” by intervening in the election of a new patriarch. According to the Russian service, the figures he allegedly sees as candidates are Metropolitan Abraham of Western Europe (Garmelia) and Metropolitan Gregory of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili).

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