Hierarchs of the Georgian and Finnish Orthodox Churches met in Tbilisi

on November 4, 2025 in Tbilisi, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsk Metropolitan of the Patriarchal Throne of the Georgian Orthodox Church met with the Primate of the autonomous Finnish Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Archbishop Ilia of Helsinki and Finland. During the meeting, the sides discussed the role of Orthodoxy in modern society, the challenges of secularization and ways to strengthen inter-church dialogue.

According to the press service of the Georgian Church, the meeting was held at the Patriarchate of Georgia in a warm and friendly atmosphere. From the Georgian side it was also attended by the Secretary of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Archpriest Mikhail Botkoveli and Deputy Head of the Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Archpriest Archil Khachidze. The conversation was of an introductory nature and was aimed at the development of relations between the two Churches.

The key topics for discussion were the challenges faced by believers in Georgia and Finland. Particular attention was paid to the growing secularization of society, when religion is increasingly perceived as part of culture rather than the basis of life. The hierarchs touched upon the role of the Church in public and cultural life, interaction with other confessions and preservation of Christian identity in the context of globalization.

The participants of the meeting noted the importance of open dialog and joint efforts to keep the Orthodox witness alive and understandable to modern people. The Church of Finland is autonomous within the Patriarchate of Constantinople and, despite the small number of believers, has the status of one of the two state churches in Finland. The Georgian Orthodox Church, in turn, is one of the oldest autocephalous churches in the world and plays a key role in the life of the country. Such meetings contribute to the strengthening of ties between the Orthodox Churches of different countries.

We shall remind you that earlier the head of the PCU Epiphanius Dumenko held a meeting with the Primate of the autonomous Finnish Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Archbishop Ilia of Helsinki and All Finland. During the meeting, which took place on October 1, 2025, the parties discussed key issues of inter-church relations, the situation in world Orthodoxy, and expressed mutual support in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.