Ilia II
Ilia II - Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. In the world Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri-Shiolashvili.
Biography
Born on January 4, 1933 in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia) in a family of immigrants from Georgia. In 1952, after graduating from high school, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, then continued his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy.
In 1959 he became a monk. In 1960, after graduating from the academy, he was asked to continue his scientific work, but due to a shortage of clergy, Hieromonk Irakli returned to his homeland and was appointed to serve in the Batumi Cathedral. For faithful service in 1961, he was elevated to the rank of hegumen, then to the rank of archimandrite, and on August 26, 1963, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ephraim II ordained him a bishop and appointed him bishop of Shemokmed, as well as patriarchal chorebishop (vicar).
At the same time, Bishop Ilya from 1963 to 1972 was the rector of the Mtskheta Theological Seminary (at that time the only theological educational institution in Georgia). In 1967, Bishop Ilya was transferred to the Abkhaz diocese. In 1969 he was elevated to metropolitan. On November 9, 1977, after the death of Catholicos-Patriarch David V, by order of the Holy Synod he was appointed Patriarchal Locum Tenens, and on December 23, 1977 he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. On December 25, 1977, he was enthroned under the name Ilya II.
From 1978 to 1983, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II was president of the World Council of Churches. He was awarded the highest awards by the patriarchs of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. Russia, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and almost all Orthodox churches in the world. The New York Theological Academy awarded Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II the honorary title of Doctor of Divinity.
During the years during which Ilia II heads the Georgian Orthodox Church, new theological educational institutions were opened: theological seminaries were opened in Batumi, Akhaltsikhe and Kutaisi, a theological school and gymnasium were opened in Khulo, as well as gymnasiums in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zestafoni . After many centuries, the Gelati Theological Academy and the Gelati Academy of Sciences, under the auspices of the Church, were restored. The number of dioceses increased to 39. Five of the dioceses established under Ilia II were restored in territories outside modern Georgia (Lazeti, Tao-Klarjeti, Hereti, Tashiri), now belonging to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey: these are Akhaltsikhe-Tao-Klarjeti, Batumo-Laz , Dmanis-Agarak-Tashir, Dedoplistskaro-Nekress and Eret dioceses. On October 17, 2002, the Western European Diocese was also established. Over 1.5 thousand churches and 170 monasteries have been opened, where 3.2 thousand clergy serve.
With the blessing of Ilia II, the Bible was published in modern Georgian, theological collections, newspapers, brochures and books, magazines, and three types of calendars were established. On his initiative, a center was created under the Patriarchate, departments for missionary and evangelization, publishing, a department for searching and protecting shrines, a department for relations with military and law enforcement agencies, as well as financial, economic and foreign policy departments, an information service, a youth service, a humanitarian service, a pilgrimage service and etc.
During the April 2010 summit of world religious leaders “Globalization, religion, traditional values”, which took place in Baku, Garekin II welcomed the efforts of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the Karabakh conflict.
On May 31, 2010, Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II visited the son of the first Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia Tsotne, who was sentenced to nine and a half years, in prison. Presumably, the patriarch asked the prisoner to stop his hunger strike.
On April 30, 2014, the Patriarchate of Georgia officially called on parliamentarians to suspend consideration of the draft anti-discrimination law, which is designed to prohibit any discrimination against citizens based on origin, nationality, religion, profession, gender and sexual orientation. The reason was that the document stipulates the protection of sexual minorities. On May 2, however, the law was passed.
At the end of 2021, Ilia II suffered a viral infection, which resulted in inflammation of the gallbladder. Due to deteriorating health, Ilia II was unable to attend the liturgy in honor of the 39th anniversary of his enthronement on December 25, 2021.
On February 2, 2021, Ilia II went to a Berlin clinic for a routine health examination. On February 12, 2021, a source from the Rustavi 2 TV channel reported that they tried to poison the patriarch. At the Tbilisi airport, the head of the property management service of the Patriarchate of Georgia, Father Georgiy Mamaladze, who was heading to Germany, was detained. Law enforcement officers found poison and weapons in his luggage.
Notes
- Ilia II, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) // Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
- Figures as of the end of 2009. Source: “Elijah II” // Orthodox Encyclopedia, 2014.
- Prosecutor`s office will likely comment on the detention of Father Giorgi Mamladze later today // Rustavi-2, 02/13/2017.
The Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church will meet “due to the excommunication of Ilia II”
For the first time in the last year and a half, on February 11, a meeting of the Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) will be held under the chairmanship of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II . This is stated in a message issued by the Patriarchate of Georgia on February 8.
The Patriarchate does not specify what topics the Synod should discuss, however, according to the Association of Religious Studies of Georgia, the agenda of the meeting will include the issue of the removal of Ilia II and the appointment of the patriarchal locum tenens Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsk Shio ( Mudzhiri ) as the new primate of the GOC.
“The appointed meeting of the Holy Synod and its format were the result of a conspiracy by a group of Georgian Russophile bishops and instructions from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church,” say theologians, citing confidential sources.
The GOC, in turn, hastened to refute this information. The head of the Patriarchate's public relations service, Archpriest Andria Dzhagmaidze, called the scandalous statements of the theologians “fantasies.”
“I really ask journalists, do not ask me questions about the fantasies they write about here,” Dzhagmaidze wrote on his Facebook page.
The Holy Synod is a meeting of high-ranking clergy of the Georgian Orthodox Church (46 people) who make decisions about its governance. Traditionally, the Synod meets twice a year - after Easter and during the Nativity Fast, but this schedule has been disrupted. The last meeting took place on October 31, 2021.
According to Georgian media, the date of the Synod meeting was set shortly after the scandal caused by the statement of one of the most influential clergy of the GOC, Archbishop Iakovo ( Yakobashvili ), who accused the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia and other high-ranking officials of attempting to overthrow the head of the GOC, as well as high-ranking clergy rank in planning the assassination attempt on the patriarch.
At first glance, Yakobashvili’s sensational statement faded into the background when the results of the meeting on October 31 became known. Then Metropolitan Petre ( Tsaava ) of Chkondidi was excommunicated from the administration of the diocese and membership in the Synod “for repeated insults and slander” against Ilia II and other members of the governing body of the GOC.
Tsaava himself told reporters that he was removed from the rank of bishop because he “convicted the Georgian Orthodox Church of the sin of pederasty and sodomy.”
“The unclean sodomite patriarch has already gone beyond the law, but Metropolitan Petre remains within the law, and he did not violate it. First, we need to consider the issue of my illegal punishment and reinstate Metropolitan Petre as unjustly and illegally punished on the orders of the unclean patriarch. Then there must be a question of excommunication of the patriarch, and not of removal. For the Holy Synod of the Georgian Church cannot be controlled by a false patriarch with such a grave sin, appointed by the KGB. This is a shame for the nation. I believe that my God is the crucified Jesus Christ who passed through Calvary and accepted this unjust persecution, reproach and crucifixion in peace. I ask the Lord that I accept any unjust decision and any trial allowed by God with peace and gratitude,” Tsaava said.
Kallistrat (the Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia)).
Born on April 12, 1866 in the family of a priest in the small village of Tobanieri in Imereti (now Van district).
He studied at the Kutaisi Theological School, and then at the Tiflis Theological Seminary, which he graduated in 1888. He stood out in both educational institutions for his abilities and diligence, graduating from theological school and theological seminary first on the list.
As a gifted student, David Sarajishvili sent him at his own expense to the Kyiv Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1892 with the title of candidate of theology.
In Kyiv, he met his future wife, German Otilia Thomas, a Lutheran by religion. Soon she converted to Orthodoxy with the name Nino.
In 1892, Kallisrat Tsintsadze was ordained a priest to the Didubi Church in Tiflis (now Tbilisi). In 1903 he was transferred to the Tiflis Kvashvet Church.
Archpriest Kallistrat Tsintsadze
In 1909 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
Serving for thirty-two years in various churches in Tiflis, he held the following positions: he was a teacher of the law at the Noble Gymnasium, the Levandovsky Men's Gymnasium, the 1st Men's Gymnasium, and was a member of the board of the Tiflis Theological Seminary. At the same time, pastoral activities were combined in his life with social ones.
Being a priest, Father Kallistrat at the same time at various times served as a member of the City Duma, secretary and member of learned societies. He was a supporter of the restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Church.
After the opening of Tbilisi University in 1918, he was offered the title of professor and the opportunity to lecture, but in return he was demanded to cut his beard and remove his omophorion, to which Archpriest Kallistrat refused: “I will not betray my flock!” However, this did not stop him from donating his huge library to the newly founded university.
In 1923, Kallistrata Tsintsadze, together with Catholicos-Patriarch Ambrose and other priests, was arrested and imprisoned in Metekhi prison. He was released in 1925.
Having been widowed, on October 31, 1925, without tonsure as a monk, he was consecrated bishop and at the same time elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Manglis.
On June 21, 1932, at the VI Council of the Georgian Church, he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. On June 24, his enthronement took place in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
Having taken over the management of the Church, he sought to stop the process of closure, destruction and looting of churches and monasteries, tried to maintain loyal relations with the Soviet government and sought to ease the tax burden on the Church. He repeatedly drew the attention of the Soviet authorities to violations of the law “On Freedom of Conscience.” Thanks to the joint actions of the Catholicos-Patriarch and the Georgian intelligentsia, the Tbilisi churches of Metekhi and Kvashveti, as well as the churches of the Gelati Monastery, were saved from destruction. The special concern of the Catholicos-Patriarch was to achieve recognition of the self-proclaimed autocephaly of the Georgian Church by the local Orthodox Churches.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet government softened its religious policy and the Catholicos-Patriarch managed to achieve an improvement in the position of the Church. At the personal request of the Catholicos-Patriarch, during the war Bishop Ephraim (Sidamonidze), Archpriest John Lozovsky, Protodeacon Ambrose Akhobadze were released from the camps; 23 churches were opened. The Georgian Church began collecting donations for the needs of the front, for which the Catholicos-Patriarch repeatedly received telegrams of gratitude from J.V. Stalin.
Believers of the Georgian Catholicosate contribute 85,000 rubles to the State Bank branch for the needs of the Red Army and ask you to accept this insignificant tribute to the love of sincere hearts, like the ribbon of an evangelical widow.
We offer earnest prayers to the Lord of the Universe, may He help us soon erase all traces of invaders and others like them in our holy region. To the Supreme Leader of our victorious army and the father of the two hundred million population, the burden of whose cares he bears on himself, day and night we ask for good health and life for the poor. Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia KALLISTRAT
I thank the believers and clergy of the Georgian Catholicosate for caring for the Red Army.
Please accept my greetings and gratitude to the Red Army. I. STALIN
Izvestia newspaper, February 2, 1943
As a result of the victorious advance to the West of the Red Army led by you, the believers of the Georgian Catholicosate spent the days of Holy Easter in spiritual peace and tranquility.
Grateful for this great joy, we humbly ask you, Joseph Vissarionovich, to accept a small donation of 150,000 rubles for holiday gifts to the heroes who defended the Motherland. We pray to the risen from mortals, the conqueror of death and hell, Christ God, to quickly return final retribution to the heads of those who shed innocent blood in our land, and to grant health, prosperity and longevity to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of our army, leading us from victory to victory. Kallistratos Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia
I ask you to convey to the clergy and believers of the Georgian Catholicosate, who collected 150,000 rubles for gifts for the Red Army, my greetings and gratitude to the Red Army.
I. STALIN
Izvestia newspaper, March 8, 1944
Already on November 7, 1942, newspapers published an anniversary greeting to Stalin, which was signed by both the Catholicos-Patriarch and the locum tenens of the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, Sergius. The election of Metropolitan Sergius as patriarch gave occasion to the Catholicos to send a congratulatory telegram on September 14, 1943, expressing hope for the streamlining of relations between the Churches. The restoration of communication followed on October 31 of the same year, marked by the concelebration of the Catholicos-Patriarch with Archbishop Anthony of Stavropol in the Zion Cathedral of Tbilisi. On November 10, 1943, the Holy Synod, having heard the report of Archbishop Anthony of Stavropol, determined: “prayerful and Eucharistic communion between both autocephalous Sister Churches, Russian and Georgian, has been restored, to our common joy.” The same decision transferred Russian parishes throughout the Georgian SSR to the subordination of the Georgian Orthodox Church, granting them the right “to preserve in their liturgical and parish practice those orders and customs that they inherited from the Russian Church,” in addition, the Synod determined “to ask His Holiness the Patriarch- Catholicos to accept for his resolution the church affairs of Russian Orthodox parishes located in Armenia, which, although they live outside the borders of the Georgian SSR, due to the distance and other similar external reasons, find it difficult to turn to the underlying Russian church authority.”
On March 28, 1945, he headed the Church Council of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which adopted the new “Regulations on the management of the Georgian Orthodox Church.”
Participant of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held from January 31 to February 2, 1945.
Participant in the July 1948 celebrations dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church and the meeting of the heads of local Orthodox Churches in Moscow. As the oldest in age of all those present, he invariably sat at the right hand of Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I, in a black cassock and a black doll with a diamond cross.
On August 5, 1950, he participated in a trilateral meeting in Tbilisi with Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I and Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg VI,
On July 23, 1951, he was a participant in the meeting of the primates of the five autocephalous Orthodox Churches in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Died on February 3, 1952 in Tbilisi. A delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was present at his burial in the Tbilisi Zion Cathedral. He was buried in Zion Cathedral.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009 23:52 + in the Kandra
all entries by the author Ilya II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. In the world Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri-Shiolashvili. Born on January 4, 1933 in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia) in a family of immigrants from Georgia. In 1952, after graduating from high school, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, then continued his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1959 he became a monk. In 1960, after graduating from the academy, he was asked to continue his scientific work, but due to a shortage of clergy, Hieromonk Irakli returned to his homeland and was appointed to serve in the Batumi Cathedral. For faithful service in 1961, he was elevated to the rank of hegumen, then to the rank of archimandrite, and on August 26, 1963, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ephraim II ordained him a bishop and appointed him bishop of Shemokmed, as well as patriarchal chorebishop (vicar). At the same time, Bishop Ilya from 1963 to 1972 was the rector of the Mtskheta Theological Seminary (at that time the only theological educational institution in Georgia). In 1967, Bishop Ilya was transferred to the Abkhaz diocese. In 1969 he was elevated to metropolitan. On November 9, 1977, after the death of Catholicos-Patriarch David V, by order of the Holy Synod he was appointed Patriarchal Locum Tenens, and on December 23, 1977 he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. On December 25, 1977, he was enthroned under the name Ilya II. From 1978 to 1983, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II was president of the World Council of Churches. He was awarded the highest awards by the patriarchs of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. Russia, Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and almost all Orthodox churches in the world. The New York Theological Academy awarded Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II the honorary title of Doctor of Theology. During the years during which Ilya II headed the Georgian Orthodox Church, a lot has been done to develop spiritual and religious life in Georgia. New theological educational institutions were opened in different parts of the country: theological seminaries were opened in Batumi, Akhaltsikhe and Kutaisi, a theological school and gymnasium were opened in Khulo, as well as gymnasiums in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zestafoni. After many centuries, the Gelati Theological Academy and the Gelati Academy of Sciences, under the auspices of the Church, were restored. With the blessing of Ilya II, the Bible was published in modern Georgian, theological collections, newspapers, brochures and books, magazines, and three types of calendars were established. On his initiative, a center was created under the Patriarchate, departments for missionary and evangelization, publishing, a department for searching and protecting shrines, a department for relations with military and law enforcement agencies, as well as financial, economic and foreign policy departments, an information service, a youth service, a humanitarian service, a pilgrimage service and etc. In recent years, the number of dioceses of the Georgian Orthodox Church has increased from 15 to 27, and the number of monasteries operating in Georgia has increased to 53. Several new saints were canonized. Construction began on the largest church in the country - the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, timed to coincide with the 2000th anniversary of Christmas and the 1500th anniversary of autocephaly. This is only a small part of what has been done with the blessing of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilya II. In addition, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilya II is the undoubted spiritual leader of the Georgian people and both ordinary citizens and representatives of the political elite take into account his opinion on key issues of public life. In his youth, upon his accession to the patriarchal throne, in his free time, His Holiness painted icons
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Georgian Catholicos accused of spreading infection
Epidemiologists are convinced that churches are becoming a hotbed of infection. Photo from the site www.ekhokavkaza.com
A group of Georgian theologians appealed to the leaders of Orthodox churches with a call to influence the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), persuading it to abandon crowded services. The statement says that the GOC does not understand the threat of the pandemic, puts people’s health and lives at risk, and the country’s government - to blackmail. Another attempt by the government to reach an agreement with the clergy on the issue of strictly limiting the number of parishioners on Easter night ended in vain. Meanwhile, there is at least one priest among those infected with coronavirus.
The Church of St. John the Evangelist in the center of Tbilisi has been closed for the third day. The sick abbot managed to infect his sister and nephew before turning to doctors. How many parishioners fell ill is still unknown. But this fact, which refuted the myth of the invulnerability of the church, turned out to be insufficient for the GOC to act like other denominations and call on the flock to comply with quarantine measures and regulations, in particular to refrain from visiting churches on Easter holidays, and generally until the end of the pandemic.
At the beginning of the week, members of the government led by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and leading epidemiologists went to a meeting with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. Lengthy negotiations ended in nothing. After some time, Gakharia only stated: on Easter night the churches will be open.
The GOC actually ignores the state of emergency and curfew introduced in the country. Crowded services continue in churches, although parishioners are formally advised to maintain social distancing of 1.5–2 m and other recommendations from the Ministry of Health. Epidemiologists are sounding the alarm - churches are becoming a hotbed of infection. But this will not convince the priests. Moreover, a high-ranking representative of the Georgian Orthodox Church said that it is thanks to prayers that there are few cases of illness in Georgia compared to other countries.
The authorities traditionally do not dare to aggravate relations with the most influential institution in the country, especially when parliamentary elections are just around the corner. All attempts to somehow come to an agreement with the GOC, to achieve at least a temporary modification of those rituals in which the same dishes are used for all parishioners in the temple, failed. But the church itself easily gets everything it wants from the authorities. For example, soon after an unsuccessful meeting with Ilia II, it became known that the parliament was considering the issue of transferring the forests located around monasteries and churches to the ownership of the Patriarchate. And most likely a corresponding law will be adopted.
“What is the point of the government’s actions to counter the pandemic if neither the state of emergency, nor the curfew, nor the announced general quarantine applies to a church that gathers crowds of people, while today, by law, three or more people cannot gather together?! Why close the city of Kobuleti if the metropolitan there, the nephew of the Catholicos, continues to invite his flock to the liturgy?” – theologian Basil Kobakhidze asked questions on the air of one of the Georgian TV channels. In his opinion, the GOC has moved away from Christian positions, and the clergy have long been preaching ideas that are contrary to the essence of Christianity and do not take into account the government.
Kobakhidze’s harsh statement echoes the aforementioned letter from his colleagues: “Representatives of the clergy deliver sermons that are full of hatred, fanaticism and false apocalyptic expectations... theologians, priests or doctors who do not agree with the official position of the Georgian church are declared by the Patriarchate of Georgia to be enemies of the church... Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia, Ilia II authoritarianly rules the ancient Georgian church. Formed over many years, this management system completely ignores the collegial principle of church governance represented by the Holy Synod... The Patriarchy, with the help of fanatical religious groups, directly or indirectly blackmails the Georgian government and does not allow it to take appropriate measures to protect the health of the population.” The letter ends with a request “to exert influence on the GOC so that ... (it - NG) takes all necessary reasonable measures to prevent the infection and death of thousands of Georgian citizens.”
According to official statistics, more than 300 cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Georgia, about 5 thousand people have been quarantined, 70 patients have recovered, and 3 have died. The cities of Marneuli, Bolnisi, Lentekhi, Vani and several villages are completely closed. According to the latest data, the authorities are preparing to close Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi and Batumi. It is expected that all cemeteries in the country may be closed to visitors on Easter days.
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II: we came with good intentions
“I think we came with good intentions, with the intention of restoring good and brotherly relations between Russia and Georgia,” he said.
Indeed, in the situation of an almost complete breakdown in relations between Russia and Georgia in the context of the armed conflict around South Ossetia in August 2008, church ties remained almost the only channel of communication between the two peoples.
“When relations between the states of Russia and Georgia were, and still are, strained, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Church maintained fraternal relations, and this was the only way of our communication connecting us,” said the primate of the Georgian Church.
The Moscow Patriarchate then confirmed that it recognizes the jurisdiction of the Georgian Church over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, despite the fact that the Russian state recognized their independence. And Patriarch Elijah flew to Moscow for the funeral of Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus' in December 2008, a few months after the war. Then there were more meetings with Patriarch Kirill both in Kyiv and Moscow. The peculiarity of the current visit of Patriarch Ilia is that this is the first Russian-Georgian meeting at a high level after the opposition coalition “Georgian Dream” led by the businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is close to the Georgian Orthodox Church, won the parliamentary elections last fall - he is the one who Georgian media reported that he financed the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, where the 80th anniversary of Patriarch Elijah was solemnly celebrated a week ago. The new government declared its strategy to normalize relations with Russia while maintaining Georgia's Euro-Atlantic orientation. However, both sides are extremely cautious about what gestures they are willing to make towards reconciliation.
At the same time, the patriarch directly said that he was going to raise at a meeting with President Putin the most painful issue in relations between the two states, the issue of the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which most Georgians consider their ancestral territories, forcibly cut off from their country.
“The main topic of our discussion will be Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. I believe that these are the main questions,” said Ilya II, answering a question from RIA Novosti.
Other topics will also be discussed - visa regime, trade. But all these will be “preliminary conversations”. The main conversation is ahead, with the participation of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, says the patriarch.
“I think that there are no issues that cannot be resolved positively, taking into account the interests of both sides,” he added. And then a compliment addressed to Putin. “I believe that he is a wise man who wants to get out of this impasse that we have reached,” said Ilia II.
How to establish connections in new conditions, when the youth of the two countries, unlike the older generation, actually do not know each other?
“I think that communication is necessary, it is probably necessary to lift the visa regime and communicate more freely,” says the patriarch, answering a question from RIA Novosti, “Georgia highly values the culture, literature, and philosophy of Russia. When I studied at the theological seminary and academy in Zagorsk, present-day Sergiev Posad, we very often turned to such philosophers as (Nikolai) Berdyaev, Father Pavel Florensky and others. It was forbidden to read them then, but we still found opportunities to read them. And today the youth of Georgia are very interested in both the past and present of Russia, Russian culture. And we have many spiritual and other values that we must exchange and must know each other. Not only know, but treat each other with great respect. Georgia is the destiny of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every Russian believer knows this. Therefore, the relations between us, between our peoples remained warm as before, and this pleases and inspires me.”
Another question from RIA Novosti about the initiative of Patriarch Elijah to become a godfather for all children born in families where there are already two or more children.
“You know, the current situation and the difficulties of modern life have led to the fact that parents were satisfied with having one or two children,” says the patriarch, “so I stated that whoever will have a third child, or subsequent ones, I, if (parents ) will have the desire, then I will be the godfather.”
According to him, he already has 14 thousand such godchildren, whom he loves and prays for. Recently, when the 35th anniversary of Patriarch Elijah’s patriarchal service was celebrated, his godchildren and their parents gave him a special honor.
“I am very happy,” says the patriarch. “These are children who should not have been born, whose parents would have killed them with their actions, abortions, so I think that when they grow up, they will also appreciate this step.”
Some parents, the patriarch says, “don’t stop” and give birth to a fourth and fifth child, and there are cases when they give birth to a third or even twins after a break of more than 10 years.
In conditions when the authority of the church in society is one of the topics that is actively debated in the Russian media and blogosphere, Russian journalists are interested in how Patriarch Ilia manages to maintain such a high authority in Georgian society. His trust rating of more than 90% significantly exceeds the trust rating of any other political or public person in Georgia.
Orthodox Life
Archpriest Andrei Ukhtomsky answers.
In church history and in modern times, we hear the word “Catholicos” applied to the Heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Where did this title come from and what does it mean? What are the powers of Catholicos? Are they related to Catholicism?
The term “catholicos” (from the Greek καθ’ – “in, on, by” and ὃλος – “whole, whole, complete”)[1] is translated into Slavic as “conciliar” and indicates solidarity, like-mindedness, unity, in in this case in faith. In the ancient Church, Catholicos were the name given to the Primates of Christian Churches located outside the state borders of Byzantium. There were and remain several such Catholicoses: Assyrian, Armenian, Georgian, Caucasian Albania (before abolition in 1836), Ancient Church of the East (split from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1972), Malankara, Syro-Jacobite and Abkhaz (before abolition in 1795). The title Catholicos is equal to the title Patriarch and constitutes a dual title, Catholicos-Patriarch.
The first mention of the Catholicos dates back to 410 and is attached to the name of the bishop of the city of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia. This bishop led the Christians of Persia and was subordinate to the Archbishop of Antioch, having fairly broad rights, due to the difficulties of communication between Antioch and Seleucia due to hostilities between Persia and Byzantium. The concept of Catholicos appears in the 5th century. and develops in parallel with the title Patriarch. The title Patriarch was used to designate the Primates of the largest cathedras in Byzantium (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem), while Catholicos was the name given to the Primates of large cathedras outside Byzantium. With the severance of relations between Byzantium and the Assyrian Church of the East, its Catholicos acquired the highest ecclesiastical rights, identical to the rights of the Patriarch in the Local Churches.
The Primate of Christians of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 363 is also called Catholicos. This term was also used to refer to other clergy. Thus, in Armenia, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea was called Catholicos. For the first time, the official title Catholicos in relation to the Head of the Armenian Apostolic Church is found in the documents of the Dvina Council of 555. This title became the highest official and church hierarchical title in the Armenian Church. Today, the Catholicos is elected by the Church-National Council of the Armenian Church for life and is anointed by 12 bishops.
The Georgian Primate, Archbishop of Mtskheta also received the title of Catholicos in 475 from the Patriarch of Antioch, during the reign of the Georgian king Saint Vakhtang, who reorganized the Church. In the VI century. under Emperor Justinian, the Georgian Church received the right to elect Catholicos from representatives of the Georgian hierarchy. From the 8th century The Church of Georgia left the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Antioch, becoming an independent Church. In the XI–X centuries. There was a separation and formation of the Western Georgian sees, which were subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and from now on constituted the independent Abkhaz Catholicosate. The Catholicos-Patriarch possessed the highest ecclesiastical authority in the Georgian Orthodox Church: he assembled the Synod, convened the Council, ordained the West Georgian Catholicos, anointed the ruler of all Georgia to the kingdom, performed episcopal consecrations in the West Georgian and East Georgian Churches. In 1811, the Georgian Church became part of the Russian Church, the Catholicosate was abolished; restored with the exit of the Georgian Church from the Russian Church in 1917.
Albanian Church in Transcaucasia from mid. VI century also headed by Catholicos. Initially, the Church was independent, but from the 8th century. was subordinate to the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 1815, with the annexation of the Persian khanates of Eastern Transcaucasia to Russia, the Albanian Catholicosate of the Armenian Apostolic Church was transformed into the Artsakh-Shushi and Shemakhan dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In the Syro-Jacobite Church, the title Catholicos was applied to the Mafrian of the East, the bishop of the Jacobite sees of Western Syria. Mafrian-Catholicos occupied second place after the Patriarch. In 1863, the title of Catholicos was abolished and in 1912 it was revived for the Head of the Syrian Jacobites of India. After the split of the Indian Jacobite Christians, the title of Catholicos began to be borne by the Head of the independent Syrian Malankara Church and the Head of the Syrian Jacobite Church of India, who recognizes the authority of the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch. Since 2002 – Catholicos of India. The term "catholicos" has only philological similarities with the term "Catholic Church", although in the Eastern Catholic Churches until the middle. XX. V. The title Catholicos was used. This title is absent from the Catholic Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.
Note: 1. Butler I. Kh. Ancient Greek-Russian dictionary. Tt. 1-2. M., 1958.
CALLITRATE
K. actively maintained friendly relations with the new Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became the basis for regular contacts between the GOC and the Russian Orthodox Church. 28 Jan 1945 K. arrived in Moscow and attended the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 31 - February 2. 1945, who elected Metropolitan of Moscow as Patriarch. Leningradsky Alexy I (Simansky). K. addressed the members of the Council with a welcoming speech. Among other things. decisions at the Council were developed by common law. an appeal “To the peoples of the whole world”, signed incl. now there is freedom for all peoples.” Also, together with other Heads of the Local Orthodox Churches, K. participated in the festive services on February 3 and 4, held in the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Elokhov, and was present at the enthronement of the patriarch (To the peoples of the whole world // ZhMP. 1945. No. 2. P. 17; Historical days // Ibid. pp. 32, 33, 36, 39, 55-56, 58, 67, 75-84).
The primates of the GOC and the Russian Orthodox Church exchanged friendly telegrams (ZhMP. 1947. No. 1. P. 9; No. 10. P. 7; 1950. No. 3. P. 6), paid each other visits, participated in general inter-church events, delegations of the GOC began take part in Church Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church and in celebrations in Moscow. The return visit of Moscow Patriarch Alexy I to Georgia took place in October. 1945
Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze) with Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I in Moscow. Photo. 1948 Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze) with Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I in Moscow. Photo. 1948 In July 1948, K. was present at the celebrations dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church, and at the Meeting of Heads and Representatives of Local Orthodox Churches. K. served with Patriarch Sergius I at the patriarchal services he conducted, and also served in churches in Moscow: on July 10 and 11 in the historical Georgian church. All Saints in the village Vsekhsvyatsky (now near the Sokol metro station), July 17 - in the center. St. Nicholas in Kuznetsy (Chronicle... // ZhMP. 1948. No. 8. P. 3-5; Speech... // Ibid. P. 9-10; Alexandrov G. Spiritual feast // Ibid. P. 47-48; Distinguished guests... // Ibid., pp. 60, 62-63).
K. actively participated in interchurch events in defense of peace. So, for the opening on August 25th. In 1949, in Moscow, at the All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters, he was sent by Metropolitan on behalf of the GOC. Urbnissky Melchizedek (Pkhaladze) (ZhMP. 1949. No. 9. P. 11). In the spring of 1950, in response to the Message of Patriarch Alexy I of March 3, the Georgian Orthodox Church joined the Communiqué of the Russian Orthodox Church on supporting the decisions of the Stockholm session of the Standing Committee of the World Peace Congress (March 15-19, 1950) on the prohibition of atomic weapons (the Georgian Orthodox Church joins ... // There same. 1950. No. 5. P. 28; Response to the Appeal... // Ibid. No. 7. P. 12).
Aug 5 In 1950, a 3-party meeting was held in Tbilisi, which was attended by K., Patriarch Alexy I and Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg VI. They developed and signed an “Appeal to Christians around the world,” which touched upon issues of the Cold War, the creation of atomic weapons, and the policy of exterminating humanity. The appeal was directed to “all archpastors and shepherds of the flock of Christ and all who seek salvation in Christ Jesus” - the Orthodox Churches, the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic. Churches and Anglicans. churches - and called for joining forces in the struggle for peace and “recognizing as a war criminal any government that used atomic weapons (Address of the Primates” // ZhMP. 1950. No. 8. pp. 5-7).
July 11-24, 1951 K. at the head of the cargo. The delegation was with the official. visit to Moscow. On July 12, K. was received by the Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Council of Ministers of the USSR G. G. Karpov. July 18, the day of St. Sergius of Radonezh, participated in the festive service at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. On July 23, the Moscow Patriarchate hosted a meeting of the Primates of 5 autocephalous Orthodox Churches: Antiochian, Russian Orthodox Church, Georgian Orthodox Church, Romanian and Bulgarian. The heads of the Churches called on Christians around the world to increase their efforts in protecting the world. The meeting discussed the war and the use of the atomic bomb in Korea and the aggressive policy of the United States, the need to conclude a peace pact between the great powers, and current church issues were resolved. On the same day, the MDA delegation presented K. with a diploma of an honorary member of the MDA (Appeal to Christians... // ZhMP. 1951. No. 8. P. 3-5; Feast of Church Communication // Ibid. P. 8-22). K. made an appeal in support of peace and condemnation of the formation of NATO at the Georgian Republican Conference of Peace Supporters (Tbilisi, September 19, 1951) and at the Third All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters (Moscow, November 27, 1951) (Speech at the Conference... // Ibid. 1951. No. 11. P. 26-27; The same // Ibid. No. 12. P. 18-19).
K. was awarded the medals “For the Defense of the Caucasus” and “For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” Also in K.’s profile, preserved in his personal file (GARF. F. 6991-R. Op. 7. D. 67. L. 3), it is indicated that he “had awards up to and including Anna II degree.” Obviously, in addition to what is mentioned, we also mean the Order of St. Anna III degree and possibly the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree.
K. served the last liturgy in Tbilisi Sioni on January 27, several months ago. days before death, on the day of remembrance of the enlightener of Georgia, St. Nina. Contemporaries believed that he had a presentiment of his death: K. invited the entire clergy of Tbilisi and the surrounding area to the service, and when one of the priests, citing being busy, refused, K. said: “See for yourself, but then you will regret it” (Nikolai (Yarushevich) , Metropolitan // ZhMP. 1952. No. 2. P. 36). K. was buried on February 10. 1952 in Tbilisi Sioni. The funeral service was held with the participation of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitsky and Kolomensky (Yarushevich), Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky), Archbishop of Kharkov and Bogodukhovsky Stefan (Protsenko), etc.) and the Antioch Patriarchate (rector of the Antioch metochion in Moscow, Archimandrite Vasily (Samakha)). Also present were Bishop. Sahak and 2 archimandrites on behalf of the Armenian Church and the Roman Catholic clergy. Churches, representatives from Muslims.
Oct 26 1952, a liturgy in Tbilisi Sioni and a litiya at the grave of K. were served by Patriarch Alexy I, who was in Georgia on a visit, who began the funeral eulogy in Georgian (სახელითა მამისათა და მის - In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen ) (Alexy I (Simansky), Patriarch // ZhMP. 1952. No. 12. P. 6-7; About the stay of His Holiness the Patriarch... // Ibid. P. 12).
Contemporaries noted K.'s modesty and spiritual purity. One of K.'s main political opponents, an associate of Catholicos-Patriarch Christopher III, leader of the Renewal and Reform Group, Bishop. David (Kachakhidze) placed K. above all the bishops of Georgia. Mn. cargo. figures believed that the Patriarchal throne in 1932 was occupied by the most worthy bishop. Known cargo. artist L. Gudiashvili, to whom K. entrusted the painting of the Kvashveti Church in 1947, called K. “a wonderful person, a patriot, educated, an excellent expert on history and temple painting, highly philanthropic.” Gudiashvili “admired him so much that he depicted his face on a fresco among the apostles...” (Vardosanidze. 2009. P. 59).
K.’s personal archive is kept in the National Center for Geographical Art (see Cornelius Kekelidze Institute of Manuscripts). Here are collected private materials and works of K. dedicated to the history of the GOC and Georgia; reflections on Shota Rustaveli’s poem “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” and “Abdulmesiani” by Ioann Shavteli; essay by K. “Church of St. George Kvashveti in Tiflis" (1930, published in 1994), etc. In 2001, edited by Metropolitan. Anania (Japaridze) published part of K.’s memoirs “From My Memoirs,” which describes the position of the GOC during the Georgian Exarchate and gives characteristics of the exarchs. The publication is considered an important source on the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. One of the streets in Tbilisi is named in honor of K.
Arch.: F. 50: Catholicos-Patriarch Kallistratus (Tsintsadze), 1882-1962. 262 days // NCRG; Personal file of Kallistrat (Tsintsadze) // GARF. F. 6991-R. Op. 7. D. 67. 14 l.
Works: [Project for the reorganization of the Georgian Church] // Mtskemsi (Shepherd). Tiflis, 1905. No. 1. P. 2 (in Georgian); Autocephaly of the Georgian Church: East. essay IV-XI centuries. Tiflis, 1905; East. certificate on the issue of autocephaly Cargo. Church // DVGE. 1906. No. 4. 15 February. pp. 6-16 (department: Tiflis, 1906); Telegram [to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, His Eminence Alexy, Metropolitan. Leningrad and Novgorod] // ZhMP. 1944. No. 7. P. 6; Greeting telegram to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy for New Year’s Day and the Feast of the Nativity of Christ // Ibid. 1947. No. 1. P. 9; Telegram to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy: [Congratulations on the 800th anniversary of the capital city of Moscow] // Ibid. No. 10. P. 7; Speech delivered by His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Kallistratos at a solemn meeting on July 8, 1948 in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, Moscow: [To the 500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Russian Church] // Ibid. 1948. No. 8. P. 9-10; Homily for Holy Pascha, spoken at the Zion Cathedral in Tbilisi on April 24. 1949 // Ibid. 1949. No. 5. P. 34-35; Response telegram to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy: [Gratitude for the congratulations on the Day of Remembrance of Equal Apostles. Nina] // Ibid. 1950. No. 3. P. 6; Response of Patriarch-Catholicos of All Georgia Kallistratos to the Address of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, April 2. 1950 // Ibid. No. 7. P. 12; Speech at the Georgian Republican Peace Conference in Tbilisi, September 19. 1951 // Ibid. 1951. No. 11. P. 26-27; Speech at the Third All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters // Ibid. No. 12. pp. 18-19; Memories of Elijah [Chavchavadze] // Mnatobi (Svetoch). Tbilisi, 1985. No. 2. P. 171-174 (in Georgian); Letter from Kallistrat Tsintsadze to Ivana Javakhishvili // Gruz. language and literature at school. Tbilisi, 1986. No. 2/3. pp. 110-119 (in Georgian); Iveron Church during the Sassanid period (265-570) // Sagvtismetkvelo krebuli (Theological collection) Tbilisi, 1987. No. 3. P. 59-113 (in Georgian); From my memories: Documents on the national-political, social and religious existence of Georgia at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. // Ibid. P. 19 (in Georgian); Oh cargo. antiminse: Note // Literature and art. Tbilisi, 1992. No. 1/2. pp. 195-217 (in Georgian); Kvashveti Church of St. George in Tiflis. Tbilisi, 1994 (in Georgian); About the personality of Nikifor Irbach // Meskheti: Ist. Sat. Tbilisi; Akhaltsikhe, 1999. Vol. 3: For the 300th anniversary of the cargo. books. pp. 170-197 (in Georgian); My memories. Tbilisi, 2001 (in Georgian); Sasanian period of the Iveron Church (265-570) // Bodbis samreklo (Bodbe Bell Tower). 2003. June-July. pp. 16-18 (in Georgian).
Ed.: Prayers for every day and an abbreviated catechism / Comp.: Priest. K. Tsintsadze. Tiflis, 1908, 1910 2 (in Georgian); Prayer Book and Abridged Catechism. Tiflis, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1919 (in Georgian).
Source: Peradze I. Letters from Kyiv // Mtskemsi (Shepherd). Tiflis, 1892. No. 13/14. pp. 10-11 (in Georgian); Anthony (Romanovsky), archbishop. Report of the Right Reverend Archbishop. Stavropol and Pyatigorsk Anthony about the business trip given to him by His Holiness Patriarch Sergius in Tbilisi // ZhMP. 1944. No. 3. P. 13-19; Resumption of prayerful and canonical communication between the two Orthodox Churches - Georgian and Russian: Extract from the journal Determination of the Holy Synod under His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' dated November 19. 1943 No. 12: [On the recognition of autocephaly of the GOC]) // Ibid. pp. 6-8; Brief biographical information about Catholicos-Patriarch Kallistratos and the bishops of the Georgian Church // Ibid. pp. 20-21; Alexy I (Simansky), Patriarch. Speech before the Lithium // Ibid. 1952. No. 12. P. 6-7; Historical days // Ibid. pp. 31-85; Bishops of the dioceses of the Georgian Church. Tbilisi, 1949 (in Georgian); Catholicos-Patriarch Kallistratos: Obituary // Ibid. 1952. No. 2. P. 34; Telegram on the death of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus // Ibid. P. 10; Nikolai (Yarushevich), Metropolitan. Speech at the tomb of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus // Ibid. P. 27; aka. Death and burial of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus // Ibid. pp. 36-40; Regulations on the management of the Georgian Orthodox Church // German (Veretennikov), hierodeacon. Georgian Orthodox Church, 1800-1970: Course. Op. RKP. / MDA. Zagorsk, 1974. P. 119-128; Cargo reorganization project. Churches 1905 / Compiled by: V. Silogava. Tbilisi, 2010 (in Georgian).
Lit.: A.V. The Joy of Unity // ZhMP. 1949. No. 12. P. 20; Zhvania Z. Catholicos-patriarchs and bishops of Georgia since 1917. Kutaisi, 1994. pp. 29-31 (in Georgian); Pavliashvili K. Georgian spiritual figure - Kallistrat Tsintsadze // Questions of the history of culture. Tbilisi, 1998. Vol. 4. pp. 41-44 (in Georgian); Bendeliani M. Georgian Orthodox Church in the 30-40s. XX century Tbilisi, 2002 (in Georgian); Tabidze N. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze). Tbilisi, 2008 (in Georgian); Vardosanidze S. His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze), 1932-1952. Tbilisi, 2009, 2011 (in Georgian); aka. Georgian bishops, XX-XXI centuries. Tbilisi, 2010. pp. 141-147 (in Georgian); Rostomashvili N. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze). Tbilisi, 2009 (in Georgian); Alibegashvili K. His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Kallistratus (Tsintsadze): Bibliography. Tbilisi, 2011 (in Georgian).
S. Vardosanidze, N. T.-M.
