E00117: The correspondence between Armenian and Georgian Church hierarchs (c. 600-608) preserved in the Book of Letters celebrates the service established for Queen *Shushanik (martyr of Georgia and Armenia, S00075) as a symbol of Armenian and Georgian unity.

The Book of Letters (correspondence of Katholikos Abraham and Marzpan Smbat Bagratuni with Katholikos Kyrion of Mcxeta)

The Armenian Katholikos Abraham and marzpan Smbat were accusing Georgians, and specifically Katholikos Kyrion, of abandoning traditional ecclesiastical practice and of eventually becoming Chalcedonian. One of the major offences from the Armenian perspective was the substitution of the traditional 'paternal' service instituted by Šušanik.

From the First Letter of Katholikos Abraham to Katholikos Kyron:

պաշտաւնն հայերէն [US: հայրենի] սրբոյ Շուշանկան զկարգաւորեալն' լսեմ, թէ ի բաց փոխեցէք

'We heard that you had replaced the liturgy in the Armenian language instituted by Saint Shushanik.'


From the Letter of Marzpan Smbat to Katholikos Kyron:

'And even though there existed ties of kinship and of parenthood between the nobles of our and your lands, nevertheless the solidity that existed for us as a cement was the martyrium [of Shushanik] established in honour of the Church of C'urtaw and the liturgy and the rules in Armenian that existed among you.'


From the Letter of Katholikos Kyrion to Katholikos Abraham:

Եւ ազատ մարդիկն, որ ի Հայոց ի Վիրս խնամութիւն արարեալ էր, ի սրբոյ Շուշանկայ պաշտաւնն գային, և ի սուրբ Խաչս Մծխիթայի աղաւթել և աւրինաց հաղորդէին: Նոյնպես և որ աստի այդր գային ի սուրբ Կաթուղիկէ և յայլ եկեղեցիսդ աղաւթել. անխիղճ ի միմեանց աւրինաց հաղորդէին:

'The noblemen of Armenia and Iberia established between each other cordial relations. They came to participate in the cult of Saint Shushanik and to pray at the Holy Cross of Mcxeta and they communicated according to the law and religion. And similarly those here went to pray at the Holy Cathedral or your other churches and communicated without obstacle according to the common laws.'


From Katholikos Abraham's encyclical letter:

'Because he had chased away the Bishop of the Church of Curtaw, who was an intermediary between our two countries, for his Orthodoxy and he has suppressed the Armenian liturgy established by Saint Shushanik ...'

Text: Book of Letters 1901. Translation: N. Aleksidze.