This past autumn Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston, accompanied by Archdeacon Andrew and Fr. Nicholas of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, paid a two-week pastoral visit to Georgia at the invitation of the faithful there. As has already been reported earlier, a sizable group of pious Orthodox Christians in Georgia have broken off communion with Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II because of his deep involvement in Ecumenism.(1)
Upon arriving in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, early in the morning of September 26, Metropolitan Ephraim was met by a delegation of the clergy and faithful. Among those present were Archimandrite John Sheklashvili and several monks from the newly established Dormition Monastery, Archimandrite George Khabeishvili of Zarzma Monastery, Abbess Sidonia, Protopriest Andrew Boroda, and many laymen. Following a few hours rest after the long journey, Metropolitan Ephraim met in the afternoon of the same day with Archimandrite John and Protopriest Andrew in order to plan the schedule of his stay. Both Archimandrite John and Fr. Andrew had spent a few months at Holy Transfiguration Monastery during the previous summer, and had been canonically received into the Church while there.
On the following day, Friday, September 27, a pilgrimage was made to Mtskheta, the ancient capital and ecclesiastical center of Georgia, located twelve miles northwest of Tbilisi, at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers. Towering above the town stands the Church of Djvari (The Holy Cross) on the spot where Saint Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles,(2) first erected the Cross over Georgia. From there can be seen the monastery of the Righteous John Zedazeni, where the Thirteen Syrian Fathers(3) first settled and from whence they later spread abroad, establishing monasticism throughout the Georgian land. In the town of Mtskheta itself stands the Patriarchal Cathedral Church of Sveti-Tskhoveli, (The Life-giving Pillar) where the Robe of our Lord was buried. Located under the Holy Table are the relics of the Martyr Eustathius the Cobbler.(4) On the edge of the town is found the Church of Samtavro containing the graves of King Mirian and Queen Nanno, who had been converted to Christianity by Saint Nina. Nearby, an ancient small chapel marks the spot where the Saint's hut once stood in the king's garden. From Mtskheta a rough gravel road leads to the Monastery of Saint Shio-Mghvimeli (The Cave-dweller),(5) located in a barren setting very reminiscent of Cappadocia.
Metropolitan Ephraim's purpose in visiting Georgia was to learn more concerning the ecclesiastical situation there, and chiefly in order to ordain those candidates presented to him by the local flock. Thus the first service during Metropolitan Ephraim's visit was the Vigil on Friday night in preparation for Liturgy the following day. Saturday saw the first Liturgy and the beginning of a series of ordinations. Thereafter a hierarchal Divine Liturgy with ordinations was served almost every other day, with the Vigil Service being held the evening before. In general, the services were conducted in Georgian, with some petitions, exclamations, and responses said in Slavonic, Greek, and English. Metropolitan Ephraim preached at all of the services, striving to explain to the faithful the pernicious nature of Ecumenism, the heresy of heresies, on both the spiritual and everyday levels. Protopriest Andrew Boroda translated the Metropolitan's sermons into Georgian as he was speaking.
For the present, the parish is holding services in an apartment converted into a chapel. During the very first service special prayers were said and lots drawn to determine the name of the parish. In this manner the parish was dedicated in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos, and the icon of the feast was hung in the appropriate place on the iconostasis. The apartment chapel is already quite crowded; eventually, once the recently ordained clergy have been sufficiently trained, they plan to divide the one parish into two or three. Although registration of religious groups has been suspended for the last two or three years pending passage of a new law, the faithful hope to be able to purchase property and begin to build a church.
In order to make his position clear and avoid misunderstandings, Metropolitan Ephraim requested that the following epistle be read in Georgian from the ambo at the end of Liturgy on the first Sunday, when the faithful had gathered in greater numbers.
Therefore, in response to the petitions of the Orthodox Christian faithful of Georgia who no longer accept to be subject to unrepentant Ecumenistic hierarchs, and who, in conformity with the Fifteenth Canon of the First-Second Council of Constantinople, have severed communion with the aforesaid hierarchs until such time as the hierarchy in Georgia chooses to follow once again in the pure path of the Orthodox Catholic Faith, free of all compromise and innovation:
With the permission of the Holy Synod of the True Orthodox Church in Greece and Abroad, I have undertaken to perform the ordination of Orthodox clergy in Georgia, with the fervent prayer that the ancient and venerable Church of Georgia will shine forth once again, as it did in olden times, with the noble, courageous, and undefiled confession of the Holy Orthodox Faith. Amen.
Your fervent suppliant unto God,
September 29, 1997
Ephraim, Metropolitan of Boston
Many of the faithful present expressed their pleasure at hearing such a pastoral and truly Orthodox statement from a hierarch of the Church. Outside of services, Metropolitan Ephraim spent many hours discussing ecclesiastical affairs with the monastics, parish clergy, and faithful. It was very edifying to see such a pious and knowledgeable interest in matters of the Faith. For their part, the faithful greatly appreciated the opportunity of meeting informally with the bishop and discussing the questions troubling them. During this time Metropolitan Ephraim also met with interested clergy and laymen of the State Church, with representatives of the religious press, and with other groups who have severed communion with Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, but have not yet decided what further steps to take.
The reaction of the local clergy of the official Georgian Orthodox Church to Metropolitan Ephraim's presence in Georgia was mixed: most were polite, if somewhat cautious; others were enthusiastic and even supportive; a few were hostile. In contrast, the simple faithful received him everywhere with respect and honor, even joy. Despite the prevailing poverty, they lived up to the Georgian proverb which says that every guest is a gift sent by God and should be treated accordingly. Their warmth, hospitality, and bountiful meals are justly famous!
Several of the faithful expressed concern over the fact that their baptisms had not been performed by full immersion. Therefore, on Monday, September 30, Protopriest Andrew Boroda baptized ten people in the Aragvi river, near Mtskheta, with Metropolitan Ephraim presiding.
October 1 is perhaps the major local feast of the Georgian Church - the commemoration of the deposition of the Lord's Robe at the Church of Sveti-Tskhoveli (The Life-giving Pillar) in Mtskheta. Even to this day it is the tradition in the Georgian Orthodox Church to hold all episcopal consecrations - regardless of the diocese assigned to the new bishop - at Mtskheta. Thus, on the eve of this great feast a Vigil with Lity and Blessing of the Five Loaves was held in the parish chapel. In the morning Metropolitan Ephraim served the Divine Liturgy and ordained a deacon and priest. At all of the services during his visit the clergy were busy chrismating dozens of the faithful who had resolved to leave the innovating Ecumenists and unite themselves to the Church.
On Wednesday, October 2, Metropolitan Ephraim visited the Monastery of the Dormition, which has been established in the village of Patardzeuli by Archimandrite John and the brethren recently expelled from Betania Monastery.(6) It was a great joy to tour the monastery and meet with the brotherhood. While there, Metropolitan Ephraim installed the newly elected abbot, Fr. Gabriel. The fathers are very proud that theirs is the first freely elected abbot in all of Georgia; he not having been appointed by the Patriarch. Toward sundown a pilgrimage was made to the wilderness monastery of Righteous David Garedja,(7) and Vespers was served in the catholicon of the abandoned cave monastery of Saint John the Baptist, one of twelve monasteries in the area dependent upon the Lavra of St. David. The desolate, hilly location of the monastery, two miles from the Georgian border with Azerbaijan, reminds one very much of the Judean desert. On the return journey to Tbilisi a side trip was made in order to visit Abbess Sidonia and her synodia, who have been given temporary shelter in the summer house of one pious Christian, which is located near the ancient town of Ujarma, northwest of Patardzeuli. The sisters greeted the pilgrims with joy and graciously offered them a much-appreciated supper.
During the following days, after the conclusion of Liturgy, Metropolitan Ephraim visited the holy shrines in Tbilisi itself: the original cave of Saint David Garedja, Sioni Cathedral containing the Vine Cross of Saint Nina and the head of the Apostle Thomas, Metekhi Church with the tomb of Holy Queen Shushanik,(8) the spot from which the relics of Saint Abo(9) were cast into the Mtkvari River, the Bridge of the 100,000 Martyrs,(10) and the Anchiskhati Basilica, the oldest church in Tbilisi. Of special interest was the ecclesiastical collection in the Museum of Georgian Art, which contains a treasury of ancient Georgian icons, crosses, and enamels.
On the evening of Sunday, October 6, Metropolitan Ephraim convened a meeting of all the newly ordained clergy, together with the monastics, at Dormition Monastery in Patardzeuli. Future plans for the monastery and parish were discussed, and Metropolitan Ephraim counseled the new clergy on how to conduct themselves in a pastoral and befitting manner. At this meeting Metropolitan Ephraim also announced that Protopriest Andrew Boroda would be temporary administrator of the diocese until such time as a bishop may be elected.
Monday, October, 7, Archimandrite John drove Metropolitan Ephraim to Betania Monastery, where Fr. John had lived for several years and been abbot. Fr. John's mother is buried in the cemetery there. Only at Betania Monastery were Metropolitan Ephraim and his party refused entry, the Patriarch having instructed the simple fathers there that "the enemies of the Georgian nation and the Georgian Church" were not to be permitted inside.
On Tuesday, October 8, Metropolitan Ephraim travelled to Bodbe, in the southeast corner of Georgia, to venerate the tomb of Saint Nina, and then continued northwest to Alaverdi and the tomb of the Martyr Queen Ketevan.(11)
On Wednesday, October 9, Metropolitan Ephraim attended the last service, Vespers, and presided over a parish meeting, followed by an open discussion of church affairs. The faithful were very pleased, and some were rather surprised, to have the opportunity to pose questions to a bishop and receive pastoral and edifying answers. At this Vespers Protopriest Andrew Boroda was elevated to Protopresbyter, and his appointment as temporary administrator was made official.
Thus with God's help, and by the prayers of all the saints which have shone forth in the Georgian land, much was accomplished during Metropolitan Ephraim's short visit. The total number of clergy is now ten. Two archimandrites (with synodias), one hieromonk, and one protopriest were received by cheirothesia. Two hieromonks, two parish priests, two deacons, and one reader were ordained in the course of the two weeks that Metropolitan Ephraim was in Georgia. Of the above clergy, the two archimandrites, the senior hieromonk, the protopriest, and the two parish priests were raised to the rank of Father Confessor, and granted the right to hear confessions. Three communities of nuns were also received.
As stated in previous articles, several of the communities of monastics are still without housing or a means of livelihood, having been forcibly driven out of their monasteries and convents. At present they have been scattered, and are living in the homes and apartments of relatives and friends. Funds are greatly needed so that each group can buy property and live together again as monastics. Since the usual channels of the mass media have been closed to these zealots against Ecumenism, and publishers have been instructed not to print anything for them - not even paid commissions, they are also in dire need of funds to purchase publishing equipment. Their chief goal is to educate and enlighten the Orthodox Christians of Georgia in true Orthodoxy. Now too, plans are underway to build a parish church. Donations to aid our suffering brothers and sisters in Georgia, present-day confessors for the Faith, can be sent to them in care of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 278 Warren Street, Brookline, MA 02146 USA.
We pray that Christ our Saviour save and protect His small, but growing flock in Georgia!
November 1997.
