On March 25, 2025, the Georgian Orthodox Church solemnly marked an important historical date—the day of the restoration of its autocephaly, as reported by the press service of the Georgian Patriarchate.

By the blessing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) of Senaki and Chkhorotsk, led a thanksgiving service at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral, accompanied by bishops and clergy.

The service was attended by the President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, President of the Academy of Sciences Roin Metreveli, and other government representatives.

After the service, Metropolitan Shio held a memorial for those who had worked towards the restoration of autocephaly, conveyed greetings from the Catholicos-Patriarch, and delivered a speech about the significance of this event. In his sermon, Metropolitan Shio emphasized the importance of autocephaly for both the Georgian Church and the state:

"Autocephaly is the independence of the Church, granted to us in the 5th century through the efforts of the holy King Vakhtang Gorgasali. It became the foundation of our Christian culture and national consciousness. In 1811, our autocephaly was unlawfully abolished by the decree of Russian Emperor Alexander I, and church administration was handed over to exarchs who did not know our language or traditions. This continued for 106 years, but the Georgian people never lost hope and fought for the restoration of their spiritual independence."

The Archbishop also noted that the restoration of autocephaly in 1917 preceded the proclamation of Georgia's independence:

"This was a great event that filled the hearts of the Georgian people with joy. Today, our Church and state are free and independent, but we must work to preserve and strengthen this freedom."

In conclusion, Metropolitan Shio honored the memory of the great patriarchs of the Georgian Church who contributed to the struggle for autocephaly: Kirion, Leonid, Ambrosius, Christopher, Kalistratus, and others.

On March 12 (25) in 1917, the Georgian Church declared the restoration of its autocephaly, which had been lost in the early 19th century after Georgia joined the Russian Empire. The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize this decision at the time, leading to a break in communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Georgian Church. Later, in 1943, the Russian Church officially restored relations with the Georgian Church, and in 1990, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople also recognized its autocephaly.