We're told that divine power supersedes earthly laws, but a controversy in Georgia about the legal status of religious minority groups suggests that even God may need a legal personality in today's lawyer-happy world.
A set of legislative amendments, proposed by the ruling United National Movement Party and approved by parliament in a first reading on July 1, would grant a legal status under so-called "public law" (a status also enjoyed by government offices) to five religious groups that have "deep historic ties" with Georgia: the Muslim and Jewish communities, the Roman Catholic Church, Armenian Apostolic Church and Evangelical Baptist Church.
Currently, these groups can only be registered as non-commercial entities, a status mostly reserved for non-governmental organizations. Georgia's minority religious groups have long complained that this status fails to recognize their religious functions.
The proposal is facing steady headwind from the dominant Georgian Orthodox Church, which also falls under "public law" and holds other privileges defined by a special agreement with the Georgian government.
Describing the amendments as "unexpected," Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II on July 4 called for parliament to postpone the vote until public discussions and the formation of a governmental commission to study the proposed change take place. Not to mention, consultations with the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Viewed as an ancient stronghold of Georgia’s national identity, the Church ranks as the country's most trusted public institution, a status that many Georgians find difficult to reconcile with perceived challenges to its authority.
The patriarch added, though, that the “the [Georgian Orthodox] Church has never opposed and always supported granting a status to other religions existing in Georgia and to exercising their rights."
But, so far, no sign exists that the United National Movement is inclined to chat.
Claiming that consultations have already been carried out with "all interested parties," United National Movement member Pavle Kublashvili asserted that the long-troublesome religious status question is simply a vote whose time has come, Interpressnews reported.
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
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