President of Georgia: Church’s Right to Pardon Issue Closed

President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili visited Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia yesterday.

Following the visit the president declared that he had the opportunity to express love and respect to the patriarch. “I would like to say once more that it is everyone’s, especially politicians’ duty to be the most important person for our country.”

A meeting was held following the statement where some Georgian MPs and representatives of the cabinet argued that “the head of the church has the right to pardon prisoners.”

The President declared on Kavkasia TV that this is not the first time these fundamental issues have been questioned.

He declared the issue is clear and does not need further clarification.

“Both the President and the Patriarch have signed a constitutional agreement. And I will not ask whether Georgia is a religious or secular state,” Margvelashvili stated.

According to the President, the issue has been closed as a result of the “active engagement of the civil society and a very clear statement of the church.”

He concluded that some “completely confused political positions” revealed that some politicians felt bereft of a basic understanding of the details of “our statehood and the Georgian constitution.”