**Georgian Orthodox Church Holds Marches and Gatherings to Commemorate Day of Family Purity**
On May 17, the Georgian Orthodox Church held marches and religious gatherings across the country, including a major procession in the capital, Tbilisi. The observance began at Kashveti Church on Rustaveli Avenue and continued with a procession to the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Senior government officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, and Mayor of Tbilisi Kakhi Kaladze, participated in the event. This shows that the government is strongly supporting the Church-led initiative.
The rhetoric used by GD officials and clergy emphasized the need to defend traditional values against foreign malign influence. They claimed that there are powerful forces opposing these values and creating false ideologies and narratives.
Speaking to reporters during the procession, Prime Minister Kobakhidze reiterated his government’s alignment with the Church on what he called a “struggle for traditional values.” He said that it is their duty and responsibility to stand alongside the Mother Church in defending national values.
The GD Parliament Speaker also attended the event and described the day as a response to foreign ideological impositions. Metropolitan Shio, the Patriarch’s locum tenens, praised the government’s legislative actions targeting LGBT persons, specifically referencing a controversial legal package introduced in 2024.
**Government Endorses Church-Led Initiative**
The ruling Georgian Dream party has organized a significant mobilization of teachers and public servants to participate in the processions. This shows that the government is strongly supporting the Church-led initiative.
Speaking during the procession, Prime Minister Kobakhidze emphasized the need to defend traditional values against foreign malign influence. He claimed that there are powerful forces opposing these values and creating false ideologies and narratives.
**Warning of Broader Ideological Push**
Metropolitan Shio warned of a broader ideological push, claiming that external forces oppose not only the Church but also the family unit and national sovereignty. He said that these forces fight against the very concept of the traditional family and the sovereignty of the state.
He spoke of the demographic challenge and took aim at abortion, saying that this is “the greatest sin.” He urged to take measures towards the prohibition of abortions, citing the experience in the U.S. and the EU.
**Confrontation with Protesters**
The Family Purity day marchers reportedly entered into a verbal confrontation with protesters who have been standing by the Parliament building for weeks in support of the illegally detained individuals. The police had to be mobilized to divide the two groups and prevent a scuffle.
**Background of the Day**
The Church established the Day of Family Purity in 2014, one year after a violent attack on LGBT rights demonstrators occurred in Tbilisi on May 17, 2013. That year, LGBT groups had gathered to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), but were met with physical attack by counter-protesters, including Orthodox clergy.
In response, Patriarch Ilia II declared May 17 a day to celebrate what he called traditional family values.
