Metropolitan Iobi (Akiashvili) of the Ruisi and Urbnisi Diocese, an influential Georgian Orthodox church cleric who was among three shortlisted candidates in patriarchal elections earlier this year, called the government “faithless” and alleged ongoing “attempts to merge the Church and government” in a critical sermon delivered on November 10.
In his remarks, the metropolitan voiced multiple lines of criticism towards the government’s policies, implied the need for a change of government, and brought up Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and the 2021 alleged state security service leaks that purportedly contained surveillance files on Georgian clergy.
His remarks drew backlash from pro-government figures and media, who accused the cleric of making “political statements from the altar” and of being a supporter of jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Meanwhile, other members of the clergy, including Svaneti Metropolitan Ilarioni, backed Iobi, echoing his criticism of ruling party policies.
Alleged SSSG Leaks ‘Stab at the Church’
Referring to the files allegedly leaked from the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) in 2021, ahead of the October 2 local elections, which purportedly showed the SSSG spying on Orthodox clergy, the cleric said their publication “was done deliberately.”
“It was a stab at the Church, to destroy the Church. They had to damage its image,” the metropolitan said. “Before they published this, Bidzina Ivanishvili came out saying that ‘the Patriarch can also be criticized, the Patriarch is also a human being, he may also make mistakes,’ and it was exactly this that was then followed by SSSG files.”
(Metropolitan Iobi was likely referring to Ivanishvili’s 2014 comments, where he said he respected the Patriarch and had warm relations with him, but that the Church “can also be criticized,” and that “the Patriarch too can make a mistake.”)
The 2021 files, released online by an individual claiming to have worked at the SSSG, contained alleged details of clergymen’s private lives, business activities and conversations. Their authenticity was never officially confirmed, but opposition politicians — also targeted in the files — said that conversations described in them had taken place. The Patriarchate and the Holy Synod described the leak as an attempt to discredit the Church and draw it into the election process. The Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation, but no one has been held accountable.
According to the metropolitan, the leaks made many “stumble” and “no longer go to church,” adding that authorities, against their promises, failed to identify those responsible for the leaks.
‘Attempts to Merge Church and Government’
Metropolitan Iobi repeatedly criticised the government, including calling it “faithless” while alleging attempts to merge the Church and the government through direct state funding.
“Today we see that our government is faithless and un-churchly. Today there is an attempt to merge the Church and the government. And how is this expressed? It consists of giving funding to the Church, and when clergy feel comfortable, it is already very difficult to acknowledge the truth. It is very difficult for a clergyman to act under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. And we are certain of this,” the Metropolitan said.
He also criticized his fellow clergy, saying the majority “have come to resemble officials” in terms of their conditions and service.
“It is hard for the parish to understand when you preach to endure hardship, you preach to endure poverty, you preach to help someone, and you do not practice it yourself — how the flock, the spiritual children, heed it. [The clergy] has emerged in Georgia like a great caste by merging with the government. This is unacceptable,” he said.
The cleric went on to advocate for a ten percent tax rule for the faithful instead of direct state funding of the church, and also for greater transparency in administering the church funds. “A high hierarch cannot tell the truth, cannot express his attitudes towards the developments, because he is mainly financed by the state,” he noted.
‘This Government, Too, Has Many Flaws’
Turning to the government’s record, the metropolitan said that while the previous (United National Movement) government’s actions are well known, the current government has its own failings.
“We know what the previous government did […] but this government, too, has many flaws,” he said, naming addiction problems as one of the flaws.
“A very large part of young people have become drug-addicted. Gambling addiction has intensified, with the establishment of casinos and support for it. His Holiness [Patriarch] spoke rightly: it is not permissible to enrich oneself by every possible means,” he said, in remarks that came shortly after the parliament adopted a controversial legislative package introducing “international gambling tournaments” and levy exemptions for organizers.
Metropolitan Iobi further criticised Georgian Dream’s rule for adopting anti-discrimination law in 2014, expressed concerns that Georgians may be “in the minority” in Georgia, said “corruption is thriving in Georgia,” recalled backing Georgian Dream when it came to power by “choosing the lesser of two evils,” and hinted at the need to change the government.
Government ‘Exhausted Its Potential’
“We’ve been convinced that this government has fully exhausted its potential. As it is acceptable across the world, the governments are changed; we, too, have to elect a better one in the future […] because there is no longer [a focus on] national interests in the country, they [authorities] have fixated on economic strength,” the metropolitan said, raising suspicions about whether Georgia’s construction boom is meant to serve the foreigners.
He went on to talk about “the program to kill off the nation” by “mixing, replacing through people of different tribes, different cultures,” criticising the absence of policies that would create jobs for young people and stimulate new families and childbirth.
Metropolitan Ilarioni Backs Iobi
Metropolitan Ilarioni of Mestia and Zemo Svaneti diocese was among the clergymen who backed Metropolitan Iobi following the sermon, noting in his statement that “a government that turns its back on its own people and facilitates processes that destroy the nation distances itself from this blessing and divine grace.”
The Metropolitan reiterated some of the lines of criticism voiced in Iobi’s sermon, including about gambling addiction, demographic concerns, and state surveillance. “The voice of the Church cannot be silenced through material welfare, state funding, or covert mechanisms of pressure, because our primary accountability is to the Lord and to our congregation,” Ilarioni said.
The cleric then called on the authorities to “acknowledge its historical responsibility before the nation and God, put an end to the illegal surveillance of citizens and clergy, take effective steps towards tightening gambling business and drug policies, pursue immigration and demographic policies tailored to national interests, and protect the future of our country.”
Pro-Government Media Slams ‘Political Statements’
Metropolitan Iobi’s sermon drew criticism from pro-government media and figures, who dismissed the sermon as “political statements from the pulpit” and recalled Iobi’s statement showing solidarity for jailed ex-President Saakashvili.
Asked by TV Pirveli to comment on Metropolitan Iobi’s statements, Georgian Dream MP Levan Machavariani said it is “regrettable” when a “high-ranking clergyman uses the pulpit to make this kind of political statement.” He further expressed readiness for “communication” if there are any questions from the Church or its hierarchs, dismissing the statements as “false.”
Metropolitan Iobi was one of three shortlisted candidates to succeed Patriarch Ilia II, finishing with nine votes when Metropolitan Shio Mujiri was elected on May 11 with 22. He has often drawn public attention and controversy, including allegations of sheltering wanted persons in his diocese, and he indirectly backed the release of jailed ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili in a 2024 sermon. In 2025, commenting on Georgian Dream’s repressions, he told reporters that authorities not serving “justice and truth” could be likened to a “group of bandits,” referencing St. Augustine.
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