View source for Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia

{{Short description|Head of the Georgian Orthodox Church}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction      = Catholicos-Patriarch
| name              = All Georgia
| latin             = <!-- Latin name of the diocese (or archdiocese) -->
| local             = {{Nobold|{{lang|ka|სრულიად საქართველოს კათოლიკოს-პატრიარქი}}}}
| titleoverride     = 
| archbishopric     = [[:ka:მცხეთა-თბილისის ეპარქია|Mtskheta and Tbilisi]]
| bishopric         = [[Eparchy of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia|Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia]]
| border            = Eastern Orthodox
| image             = Ilia II a.jpg
| image_size        = 
| image_alt         = 
| caption           = 
| coat              = Coat of Arms of Georgian Orthodox Church.svg
| coat_size         = 150px
| coat_alt          = 
| coat_caption      = Coat of Arms of [[Georgian Orthodox Church]]
| flag              = <!-- Flag file name (excluding File: prefix) -->
| flag_size         = 
| flag_alt          = 
| incumbent         = [[Ilia II of Georgia|Ilia II]]
| incumbent_note    = {{nobold|since 25 December 1977}}
| style             = [[His Holiness]] and [[Beatitude]]
<!---- Locations ---->
| country           = {{Flag|Georgia}}
| territory         = 
| province          = [[:ka:მცხეთა-თბილისის ეპარქია|Mtskheta and Tbilisi]]
| residence         = [[Tbilisi]]
| metropolitan      = 
| archdeaconries    = 
| deaneries         = 
| subdivisions      = 
| headquarters      = 
| coordinates       = <!-- Use {{coord}} -->
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_km2          = <!-- Area in square kilometers, automatically converted -->
| area_sqmi         = <!-- Area in square miles, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes    = 
| population        = 
| population_as_of  = 
| catholics         = <!-- Number of Catholics in the diocese -->
| catholics_percent = 
| parishes          = <!-- Number of parishes in the diocese -->
| churches          = <!-- Number of churches in the diocese -->
| congregations     = <!-- Number of congregations in the diocese -->
| schools           = <!-- Number of church supported schools in the diocese -->
| members           = <!-- Number of members in the diocese -->
<!---- Information ---->
| first_incumbent   = [[Melchizedek I of Georgia|Melkisedek I]]
| date              =
| denomination      = 
| sui_iuris_church  = <!-- sui iuris Church, e.g., [[Latin Church]] or [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]] or |particular_church= -->
| rite              = <!-- e.g., [[Roman Rite]] -->
| established       = 
| dissolved         = 
| archdiocese       = 
| diocese           = 
| cathedral         = [[Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral]] and [[Svetitskhoveli Cathedral]]
| cocathedral       = 
| patron            = <!-- Patron saint(s) of the diocese (or archdiocese) -->
| patron_title      = <!-- Use to override the default label "Patron saint" -->
| priests           = <!-- Number of secular priests in the diocese -->
| language          = 
| calendar          = 
| music             = 
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| parent_church     = 
| governance        =
| pope              =
| patriarch         = 
| major_archbishop  = 
| bishop            = <!-- Name and title of the current ordinary of the diocese -->
| bishop_title      = <!-- Type of ordinary: i.e. Bishop or Archbishop. Default is Bishop -->
| metro_archbishop  = <!-- Name of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province -->
| coadjutor         = 
| suffragans        = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration); use |suffragan= for one -->
| assistant_bishops = <!-- Mutually exclusive with |suffragans= ; use |assistant_bishop= for one -->
| auxiliary_bishops = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
| apostolic_admin   = 
| vicar_general     = 
| episcopal_vicar   =
| judicial_vicar    =
| dean              = 
| archdeacons       = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of first collation); use |archdeacon= for one-->
| emeritus_bishops  = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
<!---- Map ---->
| map               = 
| map_size          = 
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = 
<!---- Website ---->
| website           =  {{URL|www.patriarchate.ge}}
| module            = 
| footnotes         = 
}}
'''Catholicos-Patriarch of All [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]''' ({{lang-ka|სრულიად საქართველოს კათოლიკოს პატრიარქი}}) is the Archbishop of [[:ka:მცხეთა-თბილისის ეპარქია|Mtskheta and Tbilisi]] and the head of [[Georgian Orthodox Church]].

The official full title is '''''His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi'''''.

The incumbent [[Catholicos-Patriarch]] of the church is Patriarch [[Ilia II of Georgia|Ilia II]] since 1977, who is also the Metropolitan Bishop of [[Eparchy of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia|Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abkhazeti.info/abkhazia/2010/1292997961.php|title=Управление Цхум-Абхазской епархией передано Католикосу-Патриарху всея Грузии Илие II|website=abkhazeti.info|access-date=January 25, 2019}}</ref>

''Catholicos-Patriarch'' has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010, shortly after the [[Unification of the Georgian realm|unification]] of the [[Kingdom of Georgia]]. The first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia was [[Melchizedek I of Georgia|Melkisedek I]] (1010–1033). In the 15th century, with the [[Collapse of the Georgian realm|collapse]] of the Kingdom, the Georgian Orthodox Church was divided into the East and the West parts and accordingly they were ruled by the ''Catholicos-Patriarch of East Georgia'' and the ''Catholicos-Patriarch of West Georgia''. 

In 1801, the [[Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti]] (Eastern Georgia) was [[Georgia within the Russian Empire|occupied and annexed]] by the [[Tsarist autocracy|Tsarist]] [[Russian Empire]]. In 1811, the [[Autocephaly|autocephalous]] status (independence) of the Georgian Orthodox Church was abolished by Russia and the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] took over its administration.

In 1917, the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church was restored. The first ''Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia'' since the restoration of autocephaly was [[Kyrion II of Georgia|Kyrion II Sadzaglishvili]] (1917–1918).

To this date there have been 82 Catholicos-Patriarchs, of this 7 have been formally [[Glorification#Eastern Orthodox Church|glorified]] by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

==See also==
* [[Catholicate of Abkhazia]]
* [[List of heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Patriarchates in Christianity}}


{{Orthodoxy-stub}}

[[Category:Catholicoses and Patriarchs of Georgia (country)| ]]