The Association of Religious Experts responds to the controversy in the Ruis-Urbnisi diocese on May 6 with a statement.
The association calls on the Patriarchate to deprive abusive clergy of their ecclesiastical status.
"Yesterday, on May 6, in the Diocese of Ruis-Urbnisi, Bishop Svimeon (Tsakashvili) of Surami and Khashuri and his accompanying monk-deacon Ilia in the presence of the Metropolitan of Ruis-Urbnisi, Iobi (Akiashvili) physically injured the priest of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi and the teacher of the Tbilisi Spiritual Seminary, Archpriest Teimuraz Tatarashvili.
Deacon Teimuraz reportedly suffered a concussion.
We call on the Georgian Patriarchate to respond accordingly and deprive the abusive bishop and monk-deacon of their clerical status.
We note that such a case is not uncommon and indicates the wrong personnel policy of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the deep crisis of the Georgian Church," the statement said.