TheConstitutional Agreement between theGeorgian state and theApostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia (Georgian:კონსტიტუციური შეთანხმება საქართველოს სახელმწიფოსა და საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალურ მართლმადიდებელ ეკლესიას შორის), informally referred to as theConcordat, is an agreement between the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) and the state that defines relations between the two entities. It was signed byPresident of GeorgiaEduard Shevardnadze andPatriarch of GeorgiaIlia II on 14 October 2002 atSvetitskhoveli Cathedral inMtskheta, Georgia.
Some of the concordat's provisions, including the consultative role of the church in education, require implementing legislation yet to be adopted by parliament.[4]
Under the concordat, the Georgian Orthodox Church was the only officially recognized religious denomination in Georgia. Although other minorities such as Catholics and Muslims had freedom to exercise their religion, they could officially register their religious groups only as unions or foundations, and not as churches.[5] Under the concordat, smaller branches of Eastern Orthodoxy in Georgia such as theRussian Orthodox Church were also subject to the jurisdiction of the GOC on all territory within the Georgian state.[citation needed] However, since July 2011 religious organizations in Georgia can be registered as legal entities under public law.
