16,951
edits
Changes
m
nikon's family name
In 1904, Archim. Ambrose was transferred to the Synodal office in Tbilisi and was named abbot of the Monastery of the Transfiguration.The Georgian hierarchy continued to press for restoration of autocephaly without success, pointing out to Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] the deterioration in church life and organization that had occurred under the exarchate. The 1905 council of Georgian [[clergy]] in Tbilisi, in which Archim. Ambrose participated, was broken up by police. This incident resulted in his exile to the Troitsky Monastery at Ryazan.
In 1908, Archim. Ambrose was accused of conspiring in the murder of the Exarch of Georgia, Abp. Nikon (Sofiisky) and was deprived of the right to serve in the Church. This time, he was exiled to the Holy Trinity Monastery in Ryazan where for a year he was held under strict guard until he was acquitted and reinstated with his rights. But, he was still kept in Russia.
As Russia was overtaken by the chaos of the 1917 revolutions, Archim. Ambrose returned to Georgia in 1917 and rejoined the struggle for restoration of autocephaly of the Georgian Church. On [[March 12]], 1917, a Georgian [[synod]] proclaimed autocephaly, and elected Bishop [[Kirion II (Sadzaglishvili) of Georgia|Kirion]] Catholicos-Patriarch, actions that the [[Apostolic Governing Synod|Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Russia]] refused to recognize. Thus, communion was broken between the two [[church]]es. With autocephaly, Archim. Ambrose was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Metropolitan of Chqondidi. He was later transferred to Tskum-Abkhazeti.
