A Georgian refugee is seen in the former headquarters of the Russian army where they are currently staying, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. Some 80,000 refugees are in more than 600 centers in and around Tbilisi.
References:
· Georgian Patriarch urges his compatriots not to lose courage
· Church tensions displayed in Georgian conflict
· Abkhaz monks want freedom from Georgia
· Georgian Refugees Aided by Churches, Ask 'Where Was God?'
· Church Intervenes to Bring Soldiers’ Bodies Back
· IOCC Executive Summary
· IOCC Begins Distributions in Tbilisi & North Ossetia
· Georgian Patriarch visits Gori to see the city wasn't demolished
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Posted on Wed Aug 20 2008 Moscow, August 20, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church reminds Georgia that Russia once saved it from slavery and urges it to reconciliation.
"It seems the right time to remind Georgian government and its people what Russia has done for this country. It was time when Georgia asked Russia to take it in to escape Turkish enslavement. And only thanks to support and protection of our empire and blood shed by Russian soldiers, they were able to preserve their state system and remain a nation," head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for Relations with the Armed Forces Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov says in the article published by the Argumenty i Fakty weekly on Wednesday.
However, he says, "unfortunately, for the time present Georgia is intoxicated by Saakashvili's propagandistic speeches."
Speaking about Georgian military aggression in South Ossetia, the priest said, "the nation, which had joint the Russian Empire long ago, was subjected to genocide and this fact forced our country, Russians, Orthodox to extend help to Ossetia."
"Today we suffer losses: human, material, and even moral ones. Our help is only sacrificial service to our brother. I lament that the other historically and spiritually close nation has left brotherly feelings," the article notes.
According to Fr. Dmitry, today "the priority task for fraternal peoples of Ossetia, Georgia and Russia is to come over this nightmare, to cast aside alien harmful influence and reconcile with each other." He points out that Church the plays the key role in it.
Discussion: Moscow Patriarchate rips Georgia in conflict
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