Georgian patriarch's surrogacy remarks spark protests, clashes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 January 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgian patriarch's surrogacy remarks spark protests, clashes, 8 January 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/52e65aed5.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 08, 2014
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II leading a midnight Christmas service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi on January 7.
TBILISI – Picketers and government ministers have protested a statement by Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II suggesting children born by surrogate mothers or through artificial insemination will be "problematic" in their adulthood.
The resulting debate has also sparked skirmishes between supporters and detractors of the patriarch.
The assertion came in Ilia's Christmas address to the nation on January 7.
He also said families with such children cannot be happy.
The statement has been condemned by a number of Georgian intellectuals and politicians, including Health and Social Protection Minister Davit Sergeenko, Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, and an aide to the prime minister, Tamar Chugoshvili, who said all children have the right to life and happiness.
On January 8, dozens of protesters representing nongovernmental rights groups picketed the patriarch's office in Tbilisi.
Dozens of the patriarch's supporters also came to the site, where the two opposing groups clashed.
Police stopped the violence.
No serious injuries were reported.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
