Callistratus of Georgia facts for kids
Saint Callistratus (born Kalistrate Tsintsadze) was an important leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He was born on April 24, 1866, and passed away on February 2, 1952. From June 21, 1932, until his death, he served as the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. This was the highest position in the Georgian Church. His full title was His Holiness and Beatitude, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
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Early Life and Education
Callistratus received his education at special church schools called theological seminaries. He studied in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) and Kiev. In 1893, he became a priest at the Didube Church.
Serving the Church
Later, in 1903, he served at the Kashueti Church. He was very active in a movement to make the Georgian Orthodox Church independent again. This movement was called the autocephalist movement. Since 1810, the Georgian Church had been controlled by the Russian government.
In 1905, Callistratus wrote a special study. This study explained why the Georgian Church should be independent. It helped defend the idea of the church managing its own affairs.
Becoming a Church Leader
The Georgian Church became independent again in 1917. This was a big step for the church. Callistratus continued to rise in the church ranks.
Important Roles
In 1925, he became a metropolitan bishop at Ninotsminda. Then, in 1927, he became a bishop at Manglisi. These were important leadership roles.
The Soviet government was in power at this time. They were often against religion. The previous church leader, Patriarch Ambrose, was held by the government. Because of this, Callistratus served as a temporary leader. He was called a locum tenens from 1923 to 1926. This means he held the place of the main leader.
Leading the Church
In 1932, Callistratus was chosen as the new Catholicos-Patriarch. This happened after a short time with Christophorus III as leader.
Working with the Government
Callistratus tried to find a peaceful way to work with the government. He wanted to ease the difficulties the church faced. He hoped to reduce the pressure from the authorities.
Through the help of Stalin, the Georgian Church and the Russian counterpart became friendly again. In 1943, the Russian Church officially recognized the Georgian Church's independence. This was a very important moment.
In 1948, Callistratus was asked to join the Soviet Peace Committee. This committee worked for peace. Even though the Soviet government promoted atheism (not believing in God), Callistratus believed that Christianity and their ideas could exist together.
He passed away in 1952. He was buried at the Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral.
Sainthood
On December 22, 2016, the Georgian Orthodox Church declared him a saint. His special day of remembrance is June 3.
