Nor the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church did not come

Author: HINA
http://www.telegram.hr/autor/hina/

The Mass that Pope Francis led in Tbilisi on Saturday was attended by only a few thousand people, and the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church has not come, in a startling gesture of ignoring the Vatican.

The stadium, which is named after the Georgian football star Michael Mesh can accommodate more than 27,000 people but it seemed almost empty with a crowd of less than 3,000 people.

In Georgia, dominated by Orthodox Christians, with 2.5 percent of the Catholic minority, according to Vatican statistics, which is five times higher than the data of the Georgian government, which estimates to be around 20,000.

The boycott of Georgian Orthodox Church

"Small and loved the Georgian community, so devoted to the work of the charity and education, receive encouragement from God's shepherd, believing in the One who carries you on his shoulders and gives you comfort," said in his homily Pope Francis.

It was expected that the Georgian Orthodox Church shall send representatives to Mass, but it did not come even a single bishop. It was supposed to be a confirmation of warming ties after a friendly meeting of Francis and Patriarch Elijah II Saturday before.

Georgian Orthodox Church is ultra conservative and is associated with the Moscow Patriarchate, which has a strained relations with the Vatican. Efforts to heal the rift between the Orthodox and Catholic churches were strengthened in the last 50 years.

The three-day tour of the Caucasus

"I'm not Catholic, but I came here because I'm interested in Pope, we love Francis," said the 20-year-old Mintiašvili Tazo for Dpa. "I'm Orthodox, this is a Catholic Mass, but we are all Christians," 'said 40-year-old Nata Koridze.

Francis' journey to Georgia, post-Soviet republic that has strained relations with Moscow, is part of the pope's three-day tour of the Caucasus, which ends on Sunday with a visit to Azerbaijan, the oil-rich Muslim country with authoritarian rule.

Source:

http://www.telegram.hr/politika-kriminal/gruziju-intenzivno-boli-briga-sto-im-je-u-posjet-dosao-papa-stadioni-su-prazni-a-pravoslavni-celnici-ga-ignoriraju/

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IZAKOVIC