The Patriarchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church issued a late-night statement on April 27 expressing its full support for the ruling party's policy recommendations to stifle the activities of civil society organizations and the LGBT community. The declaration was made as Parliament was ready to approve the very contentious bill on "foreign agents."

The statement reads: “Recent developments in our country assure us that these processes are a reflection of the most important geopolitical changes on a global scale. The mentioned events can be discussed in political, economic, strategic, and many other aspects. And we, due to a combination of reasons, are not allowed to make mistakes today. The Church cannot begin to discuss the specifics, but traditional values and the state's independence are areas to which it has historically given and will continue to give the greatest attention.

Today, the line of confrontation in society runs through the field of struggle against values and the sovereignty of the state. Our country's progress in recent history should be based on the words of St. Ilia the Right: "land, language, faith."

We live in an era when facts and arguments are replaced by perceptions created by media and social networks, an alternative reality. Hasty, emotional actions must not be allowed to disturb the stability and peace that are so dear to the young generation actively involved in these processes. It is important to have an in-depth discussion and a healthy discussion process on the best choice for the country because we have often faced a united defeat when hatred prevailed between opposing parties in society.

The church has always been and will continue to be a fan and supporter of sincere initiatives and aspirations of our children, especially when it comes to the fate of the country, although we must not forget that the involvement of young people and adults in these political processes once again demonstrates how important and vitally important issues are. We have a case. Using the next generation's healthy activism and patriotic spirit to promote particular political interests and harmful ideologies will be detrimental to everyone”.

The Patriarchy also touched upon the issue of Georgia’s foreign policy by stating, "The government clearly declares that its political vector, as well as the desire of a large part of the population of Georgia, is European integration. The Patriarchate of Georgia made a statement regarding accepting the EU membership candidate status. It was said that over the years, the highest officials of the diplomatic service have been hearing convincing evidence that the country's aspiration to European integration does not mean the rejection of its own culture and values. However, it is a fact that for years, there has been a discrediting campaign of the Church by non-governmental organizations and TV channels funded from abroad, and this has been happening in parallel with the growing tendency of the propaganda of the LGBT lifestyle and sin”.

The statement then criticized liberal values: "Embracing alien, unusual, and dangerous ideologies for the population of Georgia intensifies the process of polarization in society. We don't expect help from anyone in ideological matters; we don't even need it. We note that the government has clearly taken the path of protecting traditional values.

The entry in the European Parliament's resolution that the Georgian state does not allow the adoption of the law prohibiting LGBT propaganda among adolescents represents pressure against the values recognized by the majority of the country's population. The impression remains that from their side, the sovereignty of the state of Georgia is not considered a perfect given. By neglecting the sovereignty of the Georgian state, nothing good for the country will come out.

The Church of Georgia considers strengthening the word of the Lord among the population of Georgia as the main priority. We want to protect our traditions, the sanctity of the family and its importance, preserve the Georgian culture, we aspire to live in a united state with our [Ossetian and Abkhazian] brothers, refrain from interfering in any conflict in the conditions of the most difficult political processes in the world, and to live peacefully within the country, all this is impossible in a perfect state. without independence.”