Metropolitan Nikoloz on the attempt to ban opposition parties: I don't know what it will bring politically - prohibiting a person from speaking the truth won't achieve results
"The Church must, of course, take the government into account, but under no circumstances should taking it into account be a compromise. The Church must always speak the truth," stated Nikoloz Pachuashvili, Metropolitan of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo, and Kari.
According to Metropolitan Nikoloz, the Church cannot make political statements, not because it shies away from anyone, but because very few people among the members of the Church have a political education.
"Of course, the Church must always speak the truth and must always say what is right, but the thing is that the Church cannot make political statements—not because it avoids anyone, but because among the members of the Church there are very few people, if any at all, who have a political education and who are capable of making correct political statements. Sometimes a political statement might come out of me, but it is not planned in advance; it can happen naturally. I do not have a political education, and sometimes I don't even realize whether my statement is political or not. I speak what I think," stated Metropolitan Nikoloz.
When asked about the attempt to ban opposition parties, Metropolitan Nikoloz stated that a long-term result cannot be achieved through bans.
"I don't know what this will bring from a political standpoint, how it will turn out, but looking at it another way: prohibiting a person from speaking the truth will not achieve a result. It happens with us as well when a person speaks incorrectly. The only thing you can counter an opponent with at such times is a proper commentary on their statement. When a clergyman among us spreads false teachings, we always try to listen and give an appropriate, healthy response, and under no circumstances do we forbid them to preach, even if it is incorrect. Achieving by prohibition that a person no longer speaks is not oriented toward long-term results. We cannot achieve results this way.
As for keeping peace in the country and preventing polarization, of course, first and foremost this responsibility lies with the government, but, naturally, parties or specific individuals in the opposition must also have this desire, and we must try to make our relationships, conversations, and attitudes toward one another constructive," stated Metropolitan Nikoloz.
