Priests march on church-backed Family Purity Day in Tbilisi
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Georgian priests marched in Tbilisi today, marking ‘Family Purity Day’ backed by the Georgian Orthodox Church, first celebrated in 2014.
Usually, on this day clerics call on people to take to the streets with them. However, amid the coronavirus-related restrictions on gathering and social distancing, this time the demonstration was held without public participation.
Photo: IPN
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II called on worshippers after the Sunday sermon to pray for 'the strength of their families'. Holding Georgian flags and icons, the participants marched from the Sameba Trinity Cathedral into downtown Tbilisi.
The Georgian Orthodox Church announced plans to celebrate the day after the attack on LGBT supporters and their opposers on May 17, 2013, which also marks the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).
Hundreds of Georgians are marching in Tbilisi today, marking family purity day backed by the Georgian orthodox church, first celebrated in 2014.
What’s May 17 like in Tbilisi?
Police have been on high alert since early morning today as May 17 features two events in Tbilisi: the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) and the Family Purity Day that the Georgian Orthodox Church launched in 2014 to coincide with IDAHOT.
LGBT rights activists, Orthodox clergy and conservative Christian activists supporting "purity of family” were all represented in Tbilisi streets on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17.
Two events are taking place in Georgia today: the Orthodox Church has launched a new day of "Family Strength and Respect for Parents" while today is also International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
The 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US Department of States says that Georgian laws and policies continue to grant the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) unique privileges.