84% of Georgians approve of activities of Georgian Orthodox Church

According to the most recent survey from the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Georgian Orthodox Church is still the most trusted institution in the nation.

The IRI’s poll, conducted with 1,500 Georgian citizens from April 10 to 22, shows that 84% of the population positively evaluates the activities of the Georgian Church as an institution, reports Blagovest-Info.

In second place is the Georgian army with 83% confidence, and in a distant third is the media with 63%, then the police with only 50% of citizens approving of their activities.

Political parties, governors, and trade unions take the bottom slots.

The Church is consistently the most trusted institution in Georgia, although its numbers are slightly down this year. In 2014, 94% expressed trust in the Church. The media and police have dropped much more dramatically, having enjoyed 84% and 82% confidence respectively in 2014.

91% expressed their support for the Church in 2015. His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II is also known to be the most trusted and loved man in Georgia. A 2015 National Democratic Institute poll showed that he enjoyed an 87% approval rating.