Abstract The article discusses the issue of recognition of ancient autocephaly and patriarchal dignity of the Georgian Church. The initiator of the process of recognition of ancient autocephaly and the patriarchal dignity of the Georgian Church was His Holiness Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II. After many years of struggle, the final recognition of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church occurred in 1990. On January 7, 1990, after a service in Zion, Metropolitan Chrysostomos, who visited Georgia, officially announced the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to recognize the historical autocephaly of the Georgian Apostolic Church and the patriarchal title of its head. Then Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II spoke. In his sermon, he emphasized the fact that the Georgian Church has been autocephalous since ancient times and was headed by a Catholicos.

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