Melchizedek 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
Died	1033
Venerated in	Georgian Orthodox Church
Canonized	October 17, 2002, Georgia by Georgian Orthodox Church
Feast	October 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]