Bishop: Georgian Catholics prayed for peaceful change during protests

Published: 2003-11-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic minority of the former Soviet republic of Georgia prayed for a peaceful change of government as protests against the rule of President Eduard Shevardnadze heated up, a bishop said. Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, who is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, as apostolic administrator of the Caucasus region, also said it was clear that the United States made its concerns for peace and stability in Georgia known to Shevardnadze, who resigned Nov. 23. When Igor Ivanov, Russia's foreign minister, convinced Shevardnadze to step down, the bishop said, people said Ivanov was acting with "an agreement already made with the United States." The bishop told Vatican Radio Nov. 24 that among Catholics, "there was prayer, worry and the fear of losing peace." As tensions and protests increased in the days before Shevardnadze resigned after 11 years in power and after widespread accusations of rigging early November parliamentary elections, Catholic and Orthodox Georgians had planned an ecumenical prayer service. But the immediate crisis was resolved when the president resigned the day before the prayer service was to be held, he said.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .