According to Civil.ge, the parliament of the nation of Georgia yesterday passed amendments to the civil code that will allow minority religious groups to register as legal entities. 83.9% of Georgia's population are followers of Orthodox Christianity-- primarily the Georgian Orthodox Church. (Wikipedia.) The final version of the law allows religious groups having "close historic ties" with Georgia, as well as religious groups recognized by Council of Europe member states, to choose to become either a private law entities or public law entities.
A senior cleric of the Georgian Orthodox Church suggests that the rapid passage of the new legislation is a victory for the Armenian Apostolic Church which has been unable to reach an agreement directly with the Georgian Orthodox Church over disputed ownership of several church buildings in Georgia. Lawmakers failed to include in the final bill a provision requiring the government to negotiate with foreign countries over the status of Georgian Orthodox churches in those nations.
A second report by Civil.ge today indicates that a number of opposition parties, supporting the Georgian Orthodox Church, are urging President Saakashvili to veto the law, or to at least declare Orthodox Christianity as the official state religion.
