Hopeful words of Patriarch Ambrose Khelaia and Orthodox Church of Georgia during his reign
Hopeful words of Patriarch Ambrose Khelaia and Orthodox Church of Georgia during his reign

Author(s): Guram LURSMANASHVILI
Subject(s): Theology and Religion, History of Religion
Published by: Editura Doxologia
Keywords: Orthodox Church of Georgia; Soviet Union; Patriarch Ambrose Khelaia;
Summary/Abstract: For the Russian monarchy, the Orthodox faith was a very important element around which both religious and political plans were built. In contrast, the Bolsheviks perceived Orthodoxy as a potential threat since it had the potential to stir national and independence interests among populations in various countries. As a result, the Communists initiated distinct and radical actions against the Church. They labeled the Church as a counter-revolutionary force, leading to active measures taken against it. Consequently, theCommunist Party began to take cruel steps against the bourgeoisie, and these bourgeois elements included the clergy, which was reflected in the repressions against them. In 1922, Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, Ambrose (Khelaia), addressed a memorandum to the Genoa Conference. He described the situation following the Red Army’s invasion of Georgia as ‘very difficult.’ On behalf of the Georgian people, he protested the situation in his country and asked the international community for help. Of course, this step was not welcomed by the State. In March 1924, a trial took place in one of the theaters in Tbilisi, where Patriarch Ambrose and his comrades were declared as defendants. During this courtproceeding, the patriarch delivered a distinctive and memorable speech. The purpose of our paper is to highlight the main characteristics of the historical processes taking place during this period and to emphasize the hopeful words of Patriarch Ambrose, which are still very significant today.

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