Georgian Church condemns blasphemous play—“those who don’t repent are subject to excommunication”

The Georgian Orthodox Church issued a statement last week condemning a play currently being showing in the Royal District Theatre in Tbilisi, saying "freedom and art" shouldn't be used to conceal blasphemy.

Those who commit blasphemy without repentance are subject to excommunication, the Patriarchate's statement reminds.

The play LIBERTÉ premiered six months ago, but it caused a scandal only last week when clips began appearing online, featuring explicit language describing various sex acts, including with references to God. There are also scenes of nudity, reports oc-media.org.

The theater has clarified that attendance is restricted to those 18 and older and that recording and distributing the show is prohibited.

Georgian media referred to the play as an "offense to religious sentiments," "licentiousness disguised as liberalism," and "an attack on values."

The Church's statement reads:

We express deep sorrow and concern regarding the blasphemous performance recently staged in one of the theaters.

True art is the service of goodness and the sharing of this goodness with people. This is precisely its essence and purpose, but when creativity becomes a weapon for humiliating and insulting others, sowing discord, hatred, and filth, causing irritation and confrontation in society, then it's deliberate evil and has nothing in common with real art.

As St. Basil the Great says, freedom doesn't mean doing what you want; freedom means doing what's necessary.

We call on everyone to respect and understand the responsibility towards those spiritual roots that are an inseparable part of the human soul. For its part, of course, it is society's duty to properly assess that such actions should not be disguised in the name of freedom and art, should not become an instrument for blaspheming God, mocking faith, morality, and historical memory.

We call on the creators of this event to repent and remind them that those who commit such blasphemy, in case of non-repentance, are subject to excommunication from the Church as a form of ecclesiastical punishment.

Similarly, there were two scandals at the Greek National Theater during Lent involving the blasphemous use of sacred Christian elements that have drawn criticism from politicians, bishops, and even Mt. Athos.

And in Romania, the Synod recently condemned the scandalous usage of Christian symbols in the play Prophet Elijah staged at the National Theatre in Bucharest.