The Georgian Patriarchate has officially approved the use of the image of the revered Georgian saint Gavriil Urgebadze — a monk known for his open support of the Soviet authorities — in the Russian Orthodox Church. "For us, the categorical approval of the use of the image of the venerable Gavriil for worship is very important. His entire life was devoted to faith, love, and celibacy. The authors of the initiative have a close connection with his life. This fact helps to inspire the faithful as a special example of the saint," said the head of the service of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Andria Dzhagmaidze. He noted that the image was created without any political consultations with Tbilisi and emphasized that it does not contradict Russian law.