Georgian Orthodox Church

The Georgian Orthodox Church of the Apostles (also Orthodox Church of Georgia, Georgian ქართული მართლმადიდებელი და სამოციქულო ეკლესია, Kartuli Martlmadidebeli because Samotsikulo eklesia ) is the traditional Christian church in Georgia. It is autocephalous and organized 75 % of Georgians. In the story it played an important role in nation building in the country.

History

Archaeological research suggests that until the 3rd century were Christian communities in Georgia in the 1st. Irenaeus of Lyons mentioned in the 2nd century Christian groups in the southern Caucasus. According to the Georgian Orthodox Church believes they are due to the missionary activity of the Apostle Andrew, Simon Zelotes, and Matthias in the Georgian kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia. In fact, already took 325 a native of the western Georgia Bishop Strato Philosophy of Pityounta (now Pizunda, Abkhazia / Georgia) at the First Council of Nicaea in part.

327 Christianity was declared the state religion of Iberia. King Mirian III. made contact with Konstantin Opel and called orthodox priests into the country. From 326 they sat by Christianity in Iberia. First Chief Shepherd of Iberia was John ( 335-363 ). The Byzantine historian Prokopios of Caesarea stated in the 6th century, the Iberians were " Christians and they follow the rules of faith much better than all that we know. "

Since the 20s of the 4th century, the Orthodox Church was subordinate to the Patriarchate of Antioch in Iberia. 487 granted the Patriarchate of the Iberian Church the right of self-government, the autocephaly. The bishop of Iberia's capital Mtskheta was elevated to the rank of Catholicos. At the beginning of the 11th century, when Georgia, united state, he was awarded the rank of patriarch. The Georgian Church leader calls since then Catholicos - Patriarch of All Georgia.

During the centuries- long occupation of Georgia by Persians, Arabs, Turkish Seljuks, Mongols and Choresmier in the Middle Ages, Christian faith and Orthodox church in the nation as a symbol of the unified Georgian nation developed. The struggle for the independence of their own country was identical to the defense of orthodoxy. 1226 headed the Shah Jalal ad-Din Khwarazmian in Tbilisi 100,000 Georgians who refused their icons to trample and spit on.

1811 abolished the Russian government and autocephalous patriarchate from the Georgian Church. It was subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and appointed by Russia " Exarch of Georgia ". The Russification defied particularly Mikhail Sabinin, the history of the Georgian Church and the biographies of their saints represented in the 1870s and 1880s with a national accent. On March 12, 1917, the Georgian Church declared its independence again and broke with the Russian Church. In September, a " Catholicos - Patriarch of All Georgia " has been re-elected.

After the occupation of Georgia by the Red Army churches were looted and expropriated. The Georgian Church was the spokesman for the resistance in Transcaucasia. In February 1922, she protested in a memorandum against the Soviet regime. The head of the church, Ambrose I., was arrested in 1923, accused of conspiring with the West and convicted in a show trial to several years in prison, in consequence of which he died in 1927.

The Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, was approaching the age back to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Between 1941 and 1948 he put in a Georgian Orthodox priest from four times the confession. 1943 recognized the Moscow Patriarchate to the independence of the Georgian Church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate autocephaly and the Patriarch in 1989 confirmed retrospectively.

Presence

The Georgian Orthodox Apostolic Church in Georgia enjoys constitutional status and not having to pay taxes. Patriarch is the Archbishop of Mtskheta -Tbilisi, Ilia II Its seat is the Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi. On Independence he stands with the government on the podium and blesses Parliament at the beginning of the legislative period.

The seven main Georgian Orthodox feasts are in Georgia at the same time public holidays. These include the Orthodox Christmas (7 January ), the Orthodox Epiphany ( 19 January), Orthodox Easter ( moveable), St. Andrew's Day (12 May ), the Orthodox Assumption hard Mariamoba (August 28 ), the Georgian Orthodox festival Mzchetoba (October 14 ) and the St. George's Day Giorgoba (November 23 ).

Since April 1994, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the social organization Lazarus is connected. It maintains soup kitchens, offers accommodation for street children and distributed food and clothing donations to the needy. Lazarus is cooperating with Caritas and World Vision.

Eparchies

The Georgian Orthodox Apostolic Church includes the following dioceses:

Georgia: Tbilisi, Sukhumi, Zugdidi, Tschkondidi, Mestia, Zageri, Senaki, Honi, Chiatura, Stepantsminda, Nikortsminda, Nikosi, Poti, Kutaisi, Zalka, Schemokmedi, Margweti, Urbnissi, Samtawissi, Baghdati - Wani, Borjomi, Zilkani, Mtskheta, Gurjaani, Batumi, Akhaltsikhe, Manglisi, Alaverdi, Tianeti, Nekressi, Sagarejo, Rustavi, Dmanisi, Bolnisi, Bodbe
Abroad: Brussels ( Belgium ), Munich ( Germany ) Dusseldorf

See also: List of Patriarchs of the Georgian Orthodox Church of the Apostles, Nino, vines Cross

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