The Georgian Orthodox Church has dismissed Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili, a priest known for his sharp criticism of the government its alleged influence over the church, from his position as the head of one of Tbilisi’s parishes. Kurashvili condemned the decision as a punishment orchestrated by the ruling party and ‘Russian Church’.
The Mtskheta–Tbilisi diocesan commission meeting that reviewed Kurashvili’s case was held on Wednesday. Until then, he had served as the head of the Lower Bethlehemi Church in Old Tbilisi.
The commission accused Kurashvili of ‘slanderous behavior and other actions deemed inappropriate for a priest’. As examples of such statements, the commission cited remarks allegedly made by Kurashvili, in which he criticised certain Church representatives and spoke about the influence of the secular authorities over the Church.
According to the procedure, the commission first addressed the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, with a request to remove Kurashvili, which, according to a document published on the Patriarchate’s Facebook page, Ilia II approved.
Kurashvili gained particular prominence in recent months for his outspoken criticism of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s actions. He made numerous statements concerning violence against anti-government protesters, government-sponsored conspiracy theories, and what he described as Russia’s efforts to lead Georgians toward ‘physical, cultural, and spiritual extinction’ through the hands of the ruling party.
Kurashvili frequently appears at anti-government demonstrations, including participating in the large-scale protest in Tbilisi on 4 October, which organisers branded as a ‘peaceful revolution’. He has also repeatedly criticised certain members of the Church leadership, including the head of the Patriarchate’s public relations office, Deacon Andria Jaghmaidze, accusing them of ties to the ruling party.
The diocesan commission first summoned Kurashvili on 16 October over his public statements. Jaghmaidze — who is also a member of the commission — had publicly announced the summons a few days earlier on the pro-government TV Imedi and later posted about it on social media. At that time, Kurashvili did not attend the meeting, stating that he had not received proper justification for the summons.
Ultimately, the commission issued Kurashvili a ‘strict warning’, citing his ‘demeaning and offensive statements toward the Holy Synod, individual clergy, and the faithful community’.
Kurashvili also did not partake in the Wednesday session when he was summoned again, explaining that since he was being questioned over public statements, the meeting should be public and allow media presence. When this request was denied, he left the session.
‘Today, I am being judged by the Russian Church and [Georgian Dream founder] Bidzina Ivanishvili. This is their directive, which [commission chair] Bishop Shio must carry out’, Kurashvili said before the session began, once again hinting at the Georgian Church’s ties to the government, as well as the influence of the Russian Church.
The commission cited this comment as one of the slanderous statements previously discussed when issuing its decision.
After being removed from his position as parish head, Kurashvili wrote on Facebook on Thursday that from now on his ‘pulpit’ would be Rustaveli Avenue, the centre of daily anti-government demonstrations.
‘Waiting for everyone, today from 20:00. Every day, until the end’, he added.
Despite being removed from his position as parish head, the commission allowed Kurashvili to retain his priesthood and assigned him as a priest at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Although he believes his removal bears the signature of Ilia II, Kurashvili told TV Pirveli that retaining his priesthood was still thanks to the Patriarch, adding that Ilia II himself had to ‘fight’ and hinting at possible interference by the State Security Service (SSG) during the process.
‘[...] I am sorry that I put the Patriarch through such a trial. Today, SSG vehicles were rushing around, five to six cars arrived, and the patriarch had to struggle a lot. I thank His Holiness for still defending my priesthood’, he said.
Katharine Khamhaengwong
