Bartholomew is trying to gain control over the Georgian Church – Russian Foreign Intelligence

According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is continuing a course aimed at dividing global Orthodoxy and is now allegedly seeking to bring the Georgian Orthodox Church under his own influence.

As stated in a press bureau statement released by the agency, Bartholomew is allegedly planning to take advantage of the situation that may arise after the death of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and is attempting to promote a representative to the post of head of the Patriarchate who would serve as his ally.

According to the SVR, possible candidates for this role are considered to be Metropolitan Abraham (Garmelia) of Western Europe and Metropolitan Grigol (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claims that Bartholomew is interfering in the internal affairs of the Georgian Church and, in its assessment, is violating Canon II of the Second Ecumenical Council, according to which “bishops must not extend their authority to churches beyond the boundaries of their own dioceses.”

The statement also says that the Patriarch of Constantinople allegedly acted in a similar manner in the cases of Ukraine, Serbia, and the Baltic states.