October 24, 2011
The Georgian Times
Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II spoke about his visit to Constantinople in his church service yesterday. He said he was there on the 20th jubilee of the enthronization of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
"We spoke about the future Orthodox meeting. Bartholomew I wants a meeting of Orthodox churches to take place. We responded to him saying that such a meeting cannot be held until all disputed issues are solved", Ilia II specifically said.
Patriarch Ilia said that the Ecumenical Patriarch's proposal is that all the temples without a mother church must belong to the Ecumenical Patriarch.
"We told him that the temple must belong to the mother church of the country if the congregation wishes, and if the congregation want this temple to belong to the Ecumenical Patriarch, then the mother church will not be against this", Ilia II said, adding that a lot of issues are to be solved and it's very dangerous to summon an Orthodox meeting. He voiced hope that all the issues will be solved, but he also said it would take time.