Metropolitan Ananias
მიტროპოლიტი ანანია | |
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| Born | August 20, 1949 Tkibuli, Georgia |
| Education | Georgian Technical University |
| Church | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Ordained | 1979 (priest and monk), 1981 (bishop) |
| Title | Metropolitan of Manglisi and Tetri-Tskaro |
Ananias (Georgian ანანია) (Japaridze Tenghiz Anatolievich, born August 20, 1949, Tkibuli, Georgia) is the Metropolitan of Manglisi and the Tetri-Tskaro of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He is a Candidate of Historical Sciences (undertaken post-graduate studies) and is the author of more than forty scientific papers about the history of Georgia and the Georgian Church.
Ananias' father was an engineer technologist. Ananias matriculated in 1966. In 1974, he received his undergraduate degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Georgia majoring in automatic means of communication.
In 1980, he graduated, with distinction, from the Mtskheta Theological Seminary. Ananias was tonsured as a monk during his studies at the seminary with the name "Ananias" after Ananias of Damascus, and on April 4, 1979, he was ordained as a deacon. On September 27, 1979, he was ordained a priest by Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
In 1979, Ananias became a prior of Holy Trinity Church, Tbilisi. On September 27, 1980, he was appointed a father superior in the Alaverdi Monastery in the Diocese of Alaverdi. On March 8, 1981, he became an Archimandrite.
On March 15, 1981, Ananias was consecrated as Bishop of Nikortsminda Cathedral by Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. He was a Bishop of Akhaltsikhe and Meskhet- Javakheti from April 19, 1981, to December 25, 1992; and the Archbishop of Manglisi from December 25, 1992, to June 17, 1995.
In June 1995, Ananias became archbishop of Manglisi - Tsalka Cathedral and on November 15, 2001, he was erected as the metropolitan bishop.
During his episcopal service, Ananias renewed the divine services in Zarzma, Vardzia, and Saphara monasteries. He rehabilitated churches in the villages of Ivlita, Khvilisha, Akhaldaba, and Sadgeri. Ananias also opened churches in Abastumani, Borjomi, Algeti, and Koda. In 1990, he established the Akhaltsikhe Theological Seminary where he was the rector from 1990 to 1992. Since 1995, Ananias has been a teacher of the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church at the Theological Academy of Tbilisi.
Ananias has received the St. Mark the Apostle Medal of the Alexandria Patriarchate and medals of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Ananias has written books about the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. To date, three volumes have been published and a fourth is in preparation. In 1994, he wrote a monograph about Bible stories and Georgians. His other works include Saingilo (1998); Meskheti (1998); Christianity in Georgia from the Apostle Andrew to St. Nino (1991); A Place for the Georgian Patriarchate in the Orthodox Diptychs (1993); Abkhazians' domicile in the North Caucasus (1994); The Georgian Church in the 17th century (1996); Mother Church (1996).
