Georgian Orthodox Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia |
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Coat of arms of the Orthodox Church of Georgia
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| Classification | Eastern Orthodox |
| Scripture | Septuagint, New Testament |
| Theology | Eastern Orthodox theology, Palamism |
| Polity | Episcopal polity |
| Primate | Ilia II of Georgia |
| Language | Georgian |
| Headquarters | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Territory | Georgia |
| Possessions | Western Europe, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Australia, Armenia |
| Founder | Saint Andrew (Colchis); Saint Nino, Mirian III (Iberia) |
| Independence | From Antioch dates vary between 467-491 and 1010, From Russia in 1917, 1943 |
| Recognition | Autocephaly gradually conferred by the Church of Antioch and recognized by most of the Church, dates vary between 467-491 and 1010. Autocephaly quashed by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1811 on orders of the Tsar, partially restored in 1917, fully restored in 1943. Recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1990. |
| Separations | Abkhazian Orthodox Church (2009) |
| Members | 3.5 million (2011) |
The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia is often called the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is an independent Eastern Orthodox Church. This means it is in full agreement with other Eastern Orthodox churches.
It is the main religious group in Georgia. Most Georgian people are members. The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in the world. It believes its history goes back to the first century AD. This is when Andrew the Apostle and Saint Nino helped spread Christianity in Georgia.
Like other independent Eastern Orthodox churches, its top leaders are a group of bishops called the Holy Synod. The church is led by the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. He became the leader in 1977.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity was the official religion of Georgia for most of its history. This changed in 1921 when the Soviet Union took over Georgia. Today, Georgia's Constitution says the Georgian Orthodox Church has a special role. But it also says the church is separate from the government.
The Georgian Orthodox Church is very trusted in Georgia. A 2013 survey showed that 95% of people liked its work. It is seen as Georgia's most important institution.
Contents
History of the Georgian Church
Early Christian Beginnings
First Preachers in Georgia
Georgian Orthodox Church tradition says that Andrew the Apostle was the first to preach Christianity in Georgia. He is called "the First-called." The church believes Andrew traveled across Georgia. He carried an icon of the Virgin Mary. He founded Christian groups that became the church.
However, many historians think this story came later, around the 9th century. Similar stories about Saint Andrew exist in other countries. The church also says other apostles preached in Georgia. These include Simon the Zealot and Saint Matthias. They are said to be buried in Georgia.
How Iberia Became Christian
We don't know much about how Christianity spread in Georgia before the 4th century. The first clear event was the preaching of Saint Nino. She is honored as "Equal to the Apostles." Tradition says she was a Roman general's daughter.
Saint Nino preached in the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia in the early 300s AD. Her work led to King Mirian III and Queen Nana becoming Christian. Historians believe King Mirian converted around 334 AD. Christianity became the official religion of Iberia around 337 AD. Before this, other beliefs like Mithras worship and Zoroastrianism were common.
Priests from Constantinople helped the king with his baptism. They also helped organize the church. Christianity spread quickly in the flat areas. But older beliefs stayed longer in the mountains. Western Georgia was different at this time. It was more connected to the Roman Empire. Some of its cities already had bishops by 325 AD.
Church Growth and Changes
The Long Road to Independence
In the 300s and 400s, the Church in Iberia was under the Church of Antioch. All its bishops were chosen in Antioch. Around 480 AD, the Byzantine government recognized the Georgian church leader as a "catholicos." This was a step towards more independence.
The Georgian Church still had ties to Antioch. The Catholicos could choose local bishops. But until the 740s, Antioch had to approve his election. Even after the 8th century, payments were sent to Antioch.
This changed after the 11th century. The Catholicos of Mtskheta gained power over all of Georgia. Since then, the head of the Georgian Church has been the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. The church became fully independent. This was true except for the time between 1811 and 1917. Melchisedek I (1010–1033) was the first Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia.
Other sources give different dates for the church's independence. Some say 467 AD, others 484 AD. The Encyclopedia Britannica suggests it was granted by the Byzantine emperor Zeno (474–491).
Becoming a National Church
When the church began, Georgia was not a single country. It became united in the early 11th century. Western Georgia was more influenced by the Byzantine Empire. Eastern Georgia had Byzantine, Armenian, and Persian influences. This led to different ways Christianity grew.
In eastern Georgia, the church grew under the kings. A big step was creating the Georgian alphabet. This new writing system helped spread Christianity. It also led to the creation of the Armenian alphabet. Monasteries also grew in Georgia in the 6th century. This brought new ideas and led to Georgian written works.
Georgian religious books were created, like "Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik". Many early saints were not ethnic Georgians. This shows the church was not yet strictly national.
This changed in the 7th century after Muslim invasions. These invasions threatened local culture and religion. The church became more focused on the Georgian people. Bishops and the Catholicos were now all ethnic Georgians.
In western Georgia, churches were under the Patriarchate of Constantinople. They used the Greek language. From the 6th century, these churches were led by a metropolitan bishop in Phasis. Western and eastern churches slowly joined together. This happened as Byzantine power lessened. By the end of the 9th century, the western church recognized the Catholicos of Mtskheta. When Georgia united under the Bagrationi dynasty, the Georgian Church also became unified.
Church Relations with Neighbors
In early Christian times, the South Caucasus was more connected. The Armenian Apostolic Church started earlier and was larger. It greatly influenced the early Georgian Church. The Church of Jerusalem also had a strong impact.
After the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), problems arose. The Armenian Church did not accept its decisions. At first, the Georgian Church sided with the Armenians. But opinions varied among Georgian clergy. King Vakhtang Gorgasali accepted a compromise in 482 AD.
Around 600 AD, tensions grew between the Armenian and Georgian churches. The Armenian Church wanted more power in the Caucasus. But the Georgian Catholicos, Kirion I, leaned towards the Byzantine side. This was because Georgia needed Byzantine support. In 607 AD, the Georgian Church officially broke away from the Armenian Church.
Later centuries confirmed the Georgian Church's Byzantine path. Differences in beliefs remained. The joining of western and eastern Georgian churches also made the Georgian Church firmly Orthodox.
Georgian Church in the Golden Age
Between the 11th and early 13th centuries, Georgia had a "golden age." The Bagrationi dynasty united the country. Kings relied on the church's importance. They gave it many benefits and tax breaks. Kings like David the Builder (1089–1125) also influenced church matters.
In 1103, David called a church meeting. It strongly rejected Armenian beliefs. It also gave great power to his friend, George of Chqondidi. For centuries, the church remained a powerful institution. Its economic and political power was equal to that of noble families.
Christian Culture in Medieval Georgia
Christianity was key to Georgian culture in the Middle Ages. The Georgian alphabet was created to help spread the faith. Monasticism (monk life) was very important. It began in Georgia in the 6th century. Assyrian monks, called the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, founded monasteries.
Local monks joined them. This led to important Georgian writings about saints. The "Life of Saint Nino" is one example. The golden age of Georgian monasticism was from the 9th to 11th centuries. Georgian monasteries were built outside Georgia too. These were in places like Mount Sinai and Mount Athos. Gregory of Khandzta (759–861) was a famous monk. He founded many communities.
Special art forms grew for religious uses in Georgia. These included calligraphy and polyphonic church singing. There were also cloisonné enamel icons, like the Khakhuli triptych. The "Georgian cross-dome style" of architecture was also unique. It is seen in many medieval Georgian churches.
Famous examples of religious architecture include the Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral. The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta is another. Important Georgian Christian thinkers include Peter the Iberian (5th century) and George of Athos (1009–1065). Philosophy also thrived at the Gelati Monastery Academy.
Challenges and Divisions (13th–18th centuries)
Mongol and Tamerlane invasions greatly harmed Georgian Christianity. The country's unity was broken. Churches and monasteries were attacked. Many fell apart or were left empty.
In western Georgia, a separate church leader, the Catholicos of Abkhazia, was set up. This happened as the kingdom broke apart. This rival leader stayed until 1795. During this time, contacts with the Catholic Church grew. This was a way to find allies against invaders. But Georgia never formally joined Rome. The church stayed true to Eastern Orthodoxy.
In later centuries, Georgia was weak and divided. It came under the rule of the Ottoman and Persian empires. The Ottomans ruled the West, and the Persians ruled the East. After fall of Constantinople in 1453, Georgian Christians lost their main ally against Muslim rule.
New martyrs were recognized by the church after each invasion. Queen Ketevan was tortured to death in 1624. She refused to give up Christianity. Not all royal family members were so loyal. Some converted to Islam to gain favor. Others, like Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, joined Catholicism. This was because missionaries brought printing and Western culture. Only the rise of a strong Orthodox power, the Russian Empire, helped the church regain its status in the 18th century.
Under Russian and Soviet Rule
In 1801, the Russian Empire took over eastern Georgia. On July 18, 1811, Russia ended the Georgian Church's independence. This happened despite strong opposition. The Georgian Church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church. From 1817, the church leader was a Russian. He often did not know Georgian language or culture.
Georgian church services were replaced with Church Slavonic. Old paintings in churches were covered up. Publishing religious books in Georgian was heavily controlled. The 19th century was a time of decline. Church buildings fell apart. People's trust in the church lessened due to Russian influence. Calls for independence began again in the 1870s.
After the Russian Tsar was overthrown in March 1917, Georgian bishops brought back the church's independence. The Russian Orthodox Church did not accept this. After the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921, the Georgian Orthodox Church faced harsh treatment. Many churches were closed. Many monks were killed during Joseph Stalin's purges.
The Russian Orthodox Church finally recognized the Georgian Church's independence on October 31, 1943. This was ordered by Stalin during World War II. New anti-religious campaigns happened after the war. But signs of revival appeared in the 1970s. Patriarch Ilia II began to restore churches in 1977. Nationalist leaders also worked with church officials.
Today's Status
On January 25, 1990, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the Georgian Orthodox Church's independence. This also approved the Patriarch's title. Georgia became independent in 1991. This led to a big comeback for the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Georgia's Constitution recognizes the church's special role. Its status was further defined in an agreement in 2002. This agreement recognized the church's ownership of churches and monasteries. It also gave the church a special role in advising the government, especially on education.
Many churches and monasteries have been rebuilt since independence. The church has had good relations with Georgia's presidents. However, there have been some disagreements within the church. Some members oppose the church joining international Christian groups. In 1997, Patriarch Ilia II stopped the church's involvement in some of these groups.
Problems with the Abkhazian Orthodox Church have also affected the church. In 2009, some Abkhaz clergy tried to break away. But other Orthodox churches did not recognize this. Relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church have also been difficult. This is often due to arguments over church ownership. In 2002, 83.9% of Georgians said they were Orthodox. The church had 35 dioceses and about 600 churches. It was served by 730 priests.
Church Structure
Holy Synod Leadership
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The Georgian Orthodox Church is led by the Holy Synod. The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia heads this group. The Holy Synod is made up of all the church's bishops. In 2012, the Synod had 38 members. These included 25 metropolitan bishops, 5 archbishops, and 7 bishops.
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
The first head of the Georgian Church to be called Patriarch was Melkisedek I (1010–1033). Since 1977, Ilia II (born in 1933) has been the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. He is also the Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi.
Here are the Catholicos-Patriarchs since the church regained its independence in 1917:
- Kyrion II (1917–1918)
- Leonid (1918–1921)
- Ambrose (1921–1927)
- Christophorus III (1927–1932)
- Callistratus (1932–1952)
- Melchizedek III (1952–1960)
- Ephraim II (1960–1972)
- David V (1972–1977)
- Ilia II (1977–Present)
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia ortodoxa georgiana para niños
- Secularism and irreligion in Georgia
- Christianity in Georgia
- Culture of Georgia
- Georgian Byzantine-Rite Catholics
- Georgian Catholic Church
- Georgian churches in Armenia
- Religion in Georgia
- Eparchies of the Georgian Orthodox Church
