ILIA II SEES VENGENCE FOR COMMUNISTS' SINS IN
DESTRUCTION OF TBILISI ZOO
Interfax-Religiia,
15 June 2015
Catholicos-Patriarch of all-Georgia Ilia II
perceives the flood that destroyed part of the zoo in Tbilisi as
punishment for the fact that, in their time, communists built it
with proceeds obtained from melting down crosses.
"A horrible tragedy occurred in Georgia. As a
result of a mudslide and flood, people perished and the zoo was
destroyed. Animals ran away from there and became dangerous for
people," Ilia II said in a Sunday sermon in the cathedral church
of the Holy Trinity.
At the same time he recalled: "When the communists
came to our country they published an order to melt down all
crosses and bells of churches and with the money obtained they
built a zoo. Therefore this zoo could not be located there. Many
people did not know this information, but sin does not remain
without punishment. I very much regret that Georgians fell in
this way that the zoo was built at the expense of destroyed
churches. It was then that both people and animals fell." He
thinks that the zoo should be moved to another place.
Meanwhile specialists say that the main cause of
the tragedy that occurred was a landslide that blocked the river
Vere and created thereby an artificial reservoir. "The water
that accumulated in this reservoir broke through this artificial
dam, carrying with it trees and sludge picked up along the way
which caused such sad results in the city," geologist Merab
Gaprindashvili told journalists.
The victims of the flooding from rainfall that
struck on Saturday night in Tbilisi and vicinity included, at
last count, 12 persons. More than 20 are missing. The 15th of
June has been declared in Georgia a day of mourning. In all
churches of the country bells will be sounded and memorial
services will be performed for the dead. (tr. by PDS, posted 15
June 2015)
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