Melchizedek I of Georgia

(Redirected from Melkisedek I of Georgia)

Melchizedek I (Georgian: მელქისედეკ I) was the first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, from 1010 to 1033,[1] reigning from Ani. He is revered as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Before him, heads of the Georgian Church only bore the title of Catholicos of Kartli. The unification of Georgia into a single kingdom by Bagrat III (r. 975–1014) led to the change in title.

St. Melchizedek I
Icon of Melchizedek
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
Died1033
Venerated inGeorgian Orthodox Church
CanonizedOctober 17, 2002, Georgia by Georgian Orthodox Church
FeastOctober 1

In 1031, Melchizedek successfully petitioned Bagrat III for tax immunity for the Church, demonstrating the important power the Church had at the time and its influence over the State.[2]

He visited Constantinople several times, and met with the Byzantine Emperor Basil II.[citation needed]

Melchizedek was glorified by the Georgian Orthodox Church on October 17, 2002. His feast is celebrated on October 1.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ Grdzelidze, Tamara (2011). ""Georgia, Patriarchal Orthodox Church of"". In John Anthony McGuckin (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. John Wiley & Sons. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-4051-8539-4. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  2. ^ Rapp, Stephen H. Jr. (2007). "7 - Georgian Christianity". The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity. John Wiley & Sons. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-4443-3361-9. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Commemorated October 1/14. Saint Melchizedek, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia (11th century)". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2021-04-16.