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[[Image:Patriarchate_of_Georgia.gif|right|The Church of Georgia]]The '''Church of Georgia''' is one of the oldest Christian Churcheschurches, tracing its origins in tradition to the [[missionary]] efforts of the [[Apostle Andrew]] in the first century. Historically, adoption of Christianity by the kingdom of Georgia (Iberia) is traced to the missionary efforts of St. [[Nino of Cappadocia ]] beginning in early fourth century. Initially, the Georgian [[church]] was part of the territory of the [[Patriarchate of Antioch]]. The church was granted [[autocephaly]] by the Patriarch of Antioch in 466. While seriously disrupted by the invasions of the various tartar Tartar tribes in the 13 13th and 15th centuries , the autocephalous church survived until it was placed under the administration of the synodal [[Church of Russia]] in 1811. After the abdication of Czar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] following the 1917 February Revolutionof 1917, the Georgian [[hierarch]]s restored the church's autocephaly that , which was eventually recognized by the [[Church of Constantinople]] and the [[Church of Russia]].

name=Patriarchate Catholicate of Iberia [[Image:Patriarchate_of_Georgia.gif|center|The Church of Georgia]]|founder= [[Apostles]] [[Apostle Andrew|Andrew]], [[Apostle Simon the Canaanite|Simon the Canaanite]]|

primate=[[Ilia II (GudushauriGhudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Georgia|Patr. Ilia II]]|

possessions= United States, Great Britain, Western Europe, Turkey, Azerbaijan|

website=[http://www.patriarchate.ge/_en/ Church of Georgia]

==Ancient Originsorigins==By According to tradition , the Apostle Andrew, the First Called, preached in Georgia in the first century. Tradition relates that he came with the Holy Mother's Uncreated Icon, that is the icon of the [[Theotokos]] not made by human hands. This tradition introduced a deep affection for the Theotokos into Georgian conscientiousness. Additionally, tradition speaks to preaching by other [[apostles ]] in Georgia including Simon the Canaanite, Matthias, Bartholomew, and Thaddeus. The establishment of the first Georgian [[eparchy]] ([[diocese]]) was also credited to the Apostle Andrew.

As part of the late Roman (Byzantine) Empire Georgian Christianity was heavily influenced by its form of practice. Initially, the churches in Georgia were part of the Apostolic See of Antioch. The Church of Georgia became [[autocephaly|autocephalous ]] when the Patriarch of Antioch elevated the [[bishop]] of Mtskheta to the honor of Catholicos of Kastli in 466, an elevation recognized by the rest of the Church. Subsequently, the [[Catholicos ]] was given the added title of [[Patriarch]] in 1010, making the title of the primate of the Georgian Church the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

==Recent Historyhistory==As the Russian Empire began to dissolve after the abdication of Czar Nicholas II following the 1917 February Revolution, the Georgian hierarchs unilaterally announced restoration of autocephaly. While not accepted by the Church of Russia, the Soviet forces went further, in an atmosphere that regarding all Orthodox Church in the former Russian empire was Soviet territory to be subjectedto their rule. Thus, the church Church in Georgia was harassed and churches and other church activities were closed. [[Clergy]], [[monk]]s, and Christians in general were killed in the ensuing purges of the next several decades.

With recognition of the Orthodox church Church by Stalin, after the 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, to gain support of the Church for repulsing the invasion, the autocephaly of the Church of Georgia was recognized in 1943 by the Church of Russia. Then, in 1989, autocephaly was recognized by the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]], thus approving the defacto ''de facto'' autocephaly exercised since the fifth century. In Abkhazia, a region within Georgia which has declared itself an independent state (recognized by Russia, Nicaragua and South Ossetia), Georgian church authorities have largely been prevented from exercising any authority, and the Abkhazian leadership has exiled the diocesan bishop appointed by the Catholicosate. Functioning within the area is the so-called Abkhazian Orthodox Church, which is as yet unrecognized by any other Orthodox church, although it has been given some practical support by the [[Church of Russia]].[http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1183] The breakaway diocese is now seeking to become a self-governed church under the Moscow Patriarchate.[http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5140]

With the downfall of the Soviet Union and the resulting independence of the country of Georgia, a great revival has taken place for the Church of Georgia. As of 2002, more than eighty percent of the population of Georgia has identified themselves as Orthodox Christians. The church itself was organized into 35 33 [[diocese]]s, with 512 churches. The church in Georgia of some 3.5 million people was served by 730 [[priest]]s. ===Primatial title===The full title of the [[primate]] of the Church of Georgia is: "His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-[[Patriarch]] of all Georgia, [[Archbishop]] of Mtskheta and Tbilisi" (Georgian: უწმიდესი და უნეტარესი, სრულიად საქართველოს კათოლიკოს-პატრიარქი, მცხეთა-თბილისის მთავარეპისკოპოსი). ====Recent [[Catholicos]]-Patriarchs of All Georgia====''([[List of leaders of Georgian Church|See full list]])''*[[Kirion II (Sadzaglishvili)|Kirion II]] (1917-1918)*Leonide (1918-1921)*Ambrosi (1921-1927)*Christefore III (1927-1932)*Kalistrare (1932-1952)*Melkisedek III (1952-1960)*Eprem II (1960-1072)*David V (1972-1977)*[[Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Georgia|Ilia II]] (1977 to present)

** [[Diocese of Mtskheta and Tbilisi (Patriarchal cathedra)]]** [[Diocese of Alaverdi]]** [[Diocese of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdo]]** [[Diocese of Batumi and Skhalta]]** [[Diocese of Bodbe ]]

==Further reading==* Christopher Haas. ''"Mountain Constantines: The church is governed by Christianization of Aksum and Iberia."'' '''Journal of Late Antiquity''', Volume 1, Number 1, Spring 2008. pp.101-126.: <small>(At the beginning of the fourth century, [[Holy Synodw:Ezana of Axum|Ezana I of Aksum]] and [[w:Mirian III of the Church Iberia|Mirian III of Georgia with the current Iberia]] espoused Christianity, much like their better-known contemporary, [[ArchbishopConstantine the Great]] . The religious choices made by the monarchs of Mtskheta these two mountain polities was but one stage in a prolonged process of Christianization within their respective kingdoms. This study utilizes a comparative approach in order to examine the remarkably similar dynamics of religious transformation taking place in these kingdoms between the fourth and Tbilisi late sixth centuries. The cultural choice made by these monarchs and their successors also factored into, and Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II as chairmanwere influenced by, the fierce competition between Rome and Sassanian Persia for influence in these strategically important regions. ===Recent Catholicos-Patriarchs of All Georgia===* Kirion II - (1917-1918)* Leonide - (1918-1921)* Ambrosi - (1921-1927)* Christefore III - (1927-1932)* Kalistrare - (1932-1952)* Melkisedek III - (1952-1960)* Eprem II - (1960-1072)* David V - (1972-1977)* Ilia II - (1977 to present)—</small>

* [http://www.patriarchate.ge Website of the Church of Georgia]* [[Wikipedia:Church of Georgia]]* [http://indexewww.stnicholas-billings.org/History/SpecialTopics/georgiachurchhistory.htm Website History of the Orthodox Church of Georgia]* [http://enwww.wikipediageorgianchant.org GeorgianChant.org: Resource for the Study of Georgian Chant]*[http:/wiki/Georgian_Orthodox_and_Apostolic_Church www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=21&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1 Article on Church of Georgiain ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey'' (2008) by Ronald Roberson, on the CNEWA website]