Patriarch Cyril to visit Georgia despite existing contradictions

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril will visit Georgia despite the existing political problems between the two countries. This was stated by Archbishop of Volokolam Hillarion, head of the Division for Foreign Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchy. He has noted that spirituals have nothing to do with politics; on the contrary, the churches will bring the Russian and Georgian nations closer together.

The Archbishop has emphasized that the clergy should not interfere with the politics and dictate the political leaders how to behave. "What they've done, will remain on their conscience," the "Echo Moskvy" Radio Station quotes Mr Hillarion as saying. "But we can do everything to preserve and improve the ties between the peoples of Russia and Georgia; so that the unity of faith that unites us is preserved."

It is expected that Moscow Patriarch will come to Georgia after visiting his Jerusalem counterpart. The date is unknown, as the RNS (Russian News Service) reports.

Earlier Archbishop Hillarion also said that the ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) is the only real power today, capable to reconcile people in Russia and Georgia. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, secretary for inter-Orthodox relations of the above Division of the Moscow Patriarchy, has added that the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches have confirmed their brotherly relations even despite the August military conflict in South Ossetia.

Last November the Moscow Patriarchy stated that it would not recognize the Orthodox Churches of Abkhazia and South Ossetia outside the canonical territory of the Georgian Orthodox Church, while after the Georgian-Ossetian conflict the Orthodox clergy of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia supported the authorities of their republics.

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