The messenger logo

Press Scanner

Compiled by Londa Mindiashvili
Monday, May 25
Abkhazia demands the return of its sacred artefacts

Rezonansi reports that the Abkhazian Church is demanding the return of its ‘lost’ artefacts.

According to the official site of the de facto President of Abkhazia these sacred items were taken to Georgia to preserve them in different historical epochs. “Returning the lost artefacts is vital for the Abkhazian Church at this stage because Orthodox cathedrals are being regenerated,” stated Bessarion Aplia, acting manager of the Eparchy of the Abkhazian Church.

It is unclear which items are being demanded by the Abkhazian Church - those taken away by the monks displaced from Kodori or those removed much earlier which are now in Tbilisi. Either way, the demand is considered absurd in Tbilisi.

“All ecclesiastical properties, among them churches, relics and other ecclesiastical items, in the territory of Abkhazia belong to the Patriarchate of Georgia. This fact is recognized by all Orthodox Churches of the world including the Patriarchate of Moscow. It seems a Russian propaganda group has had this idea and Bessarion Aplia has announced this. He has followed their orders,” stated the Press Service of the Patriarchate of Georgia.



What is Lomaia doing at the UN?

Sakartvelos Respublika writes that the Labour Party of Georgia has sent an appeal to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the UN, and the United Nations Security Council. The Labour Party of Georgia has called on Ban Ki-moon to remove the separate mentions of Georgia and Abkhazia from his interim report.

As Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of the Labour Party, stated at yesterday’s press conference the issue calls the decision of the UN on the territorial unity of Georgia and the reputation of the UN itself into question. This may in turn instigate further separatism.

“We are interested in knowing: why did we hear about this from the delegations of Abkhazia and Ossetia? What are Saakashvili’s Embassy and Kakha Lomaia doing at the UN? Saakashvili and his regime are responsible for this,” stated Shalva Natelashvili.



Building of rock church begins

Akhali Taoba writes that the building of the rock church in the village of Elbaqiantkari, in the gorge of Dzama in the Eparchy of Urbnisi and Ruisi, has begun, blessed by Archbishop Iobi. The church will be dedicated to Saint Shio. It will be 9 metres long, 6 metres wide and 7 metres high.

Specialists of the Department of Mountain Technologies of the Georgian Technical University are undertaking the drilling and explosive works. The detonations will be completed in two months. Father Saba, who is supervising the building process, hopes that it will be completed and the first liturgy held in this unique church by the end of the year.

According to Irakli Gujabidze, the head of the Department of Mountain Technologies, this project is unique because this kind of church has not been built in Georgia since the 12th century.

“At first, when Archbishop Iobi voiced his idea, we thought it was impossible to build a church of such dimensions in this rock, but later when we saw the three-dimensional model of the church we were assured that the Archbishop’s project was sound,” stated Gujabidze.