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Georgian Orthodox Church

The Iveron Icon of The Mother of God Georgian Orthodox Catholic-Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia, commonly known as the Georgian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Georgia, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with the other churches of Eastern Orthodoxy. It is Georgia’s dominant religious institution, and a majority of Georgian people are members. The Orthodox Church of Georgia is one of the oldest churches in the world. It asserts apostolic foundation, and that its historical roots can be traced to the early and late Christianization of Iberia and Colchis by Saint Andrew the Apostle of Georgia , Saint Simon the Zealot and Apostle of Georgia,   Apostle Matthias and Apostle of Georgia   in the 1st century AD and by Saint Nino of Cappadocia Enlighter of Georgia in the 4th century AD, respectively. Georgian Orthodox Church was granted autocephaly  by the Eastern Roman emperor Zeno (474–491) with the consent of the patriarch of Antioch, Peter the Fuller. The heads of the Georgian church have since that time borne the title of Catholicos.  As in similar autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, the church’s highest governing body is the holy synod of bishops. The church is headed by the Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, who was elected in 1977.