LAST UPDATE: 17:00
In a climate of deep emotion, the faithful contintue to pay their respects to the blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilias II, for the third day, March 20, despite the rain, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Sameba) in Tbilisi.
Throughout the night, citizens have been flocking to Holy Trinity Cathedral to pay their respects to Ilia II. A queue of mourners has been forming since this morning, eager to pay their respects to the Patriarch. It is noteworthy that the wait reaches five to six hours outside the cathedral.
Yesterday, the Patriarch’s godchildren held a procession to the cathedral. Ilia II’s godchildren and their families gathered at Avlabari metro station before making their way to Holy Trinity Cathedral, adorned with white roses.
By decision of the Patriarchate, the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral will remain open around the clock to facilitate the honouring of the Patriarch.
Due to the significant turnout, authorities have advised visitors to arrive on foot or by public transportation. Entry is being carefully organized through two main streams from the central entrance to ensure a continuous flow of the faithful.
Archimandrite Ioane Mchedlishvili: Sunday service to begin at 09:00
“The Sunday service will begin at nine o’clock in the morning, with His Eminence Metropolitan Shio concelebrating the Divine Liturgy alongside other hierarchs. The Ecumenical Patriarch’s aircraft is expected to land at Tbilisi International Airport at approximately eleven o’clock, with his arrival at the Cathedral anticipated by noon. This is his own decision, and he will take part in the funeral rite,” Archimandrite Ioane Mchedlishvili, a clergyman of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, told journalists, according to Georgian media.
He further noted that entry to the Holy Trinity Cathedral will be subject to certain restrictions.
“There will be addresses and homilies from various clergy and public figures, commemorating the Catholicos-Patriarch. His Holiness will then be borne to Sioni Cathedral, where he will be interred. The Patriarchate will publish the official list of guests. I cannot enumerate them precisely myself. Queues of the faithful stretch from the metro station without interruption, for many hours on end, and on the day of the funeral itself, the numbers will be far greater still. The entire area from the Holy Trinity Cathedral to Sioni is likely to be utterly thronged. Entry to the Cathedral will be restricted and permitted only to those bearing passes. Clergy, too, will serve in limited numbers during the Liturgy, and admission will be by pass only. Members of the public will, in all likelihood, be able to enter the courtyard. That is yet to be confirmed; the protocol is still being arranged. The media will not be admitted inside.
As for the exact timing of the procession bearing His Holiness to Sioni, I cannot say with certainty, much depends on when the Ecumenical Patriarch arrives, how long the rite, the addresses, and the lying-in-state take. Somewhere between three and four in the afternoon, most probably,” said Archimandrite Mchedlishvili.
Military personnel arrive at Holy Trinity Cathedral to pay tribute to Ilia II
Members of the Georgian Defence Forces have arrived at the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral, where the civil funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Ilia II, is currently taking place.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani and Commander of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Giorgi Matiashvili, were also present at the Holy Trinity Cathedral to pay their respects to Ilia II.
Preparations underway at Sioni Cathedral for the burial of Patriarch Ilia II
On March 19, preparations for the burial of Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia were inspected at Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi, where the late Patriarch will be laid to rest in accordance with the decision of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The visit was carried out by members of a joint commission formed by the Church and the Georgian government. Among those present were Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, members of the Holy Synod, as well as Irakli Kobakhidze and other government officials.
The inspection focused on overseeing the ongoing preparations at the cathedral, ensuring that all arrangements are in place for the forthcoming funeral of the long-serving Georgian Patriarch.
Patriarch Ilia II will be laid to rest on north side of Cathedral, before Iconostasis
Father Giorgi Sanamashvili, Dean of Sioni Cathedral, has announced that preparations are underway within the Cathedral for the tomb of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, and that the Patriarch will be buried at the north door, before the Iconostasis.
“As you will know, in accordance with His Holiness’s own wishes, a place is being prepared for him in the ancient Patriarchal Cathedral of Sioni. It is situated at the entrance to the Cathedral, on the north side, before the Iconostasis, at the north door, where his tomb is being made ready. His Holiness began his ministry as Patriarch in this very Cathedral in 1977. He himself described that ministry as a night filled with light. Eight Patriarchs have been buried in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Sioni since the restoration of autocephaly to this day.
Patriarch of Jerusalem will not attend the funeral
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has announced that he will attend the funeral. However, due to the ongoing conflict in the region, Patriarch Theophilos III informed that he was unable to attend the funeral in person and would instead send his representative, Archbishop Nektarios of Anthedon.
Vatican sends Cardinal Kurt Koch to represent Holy See at funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II
Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, is to travel from the Vatican to Tbilisi to attend the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, according to Georgian media outlets.
This information is being reported by the Catholic referring to the Vatican Embassy.
According to the Embassy, the Cardinal will be accompanied by the following delegation: Monsignor Jaromír Ladrapa, an official of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Archbishop Ante Jozić, Apostolic Nuncio and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Georgia; Monsignor Alexander Rahinia, adviser to the Papal Legate in Georgia; Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, Apostolic Administrator for Latin Catholics in the Caucasus; and Monsignor Gevork Noradounghian, Ordinary for Armenian Catholics in Eastern Europe, based in Yerevan.
As for Cardinal Koch himself, Catholic notes that his first visit to Georgia took place in late 2014, when he met with Zaza Vashakmadze, Chairman of the State Agency for Religious Affairs, to discuss several matters of significance concerning the Catholic Church, among them the question of funding for religious denominations and the construction of a Catholic church in Rustavi. His second visit to Georgia followed in 2016.
Pope Leo XIV: Ilia II was a voice of reconciliation, a tireless creator of unity
“With great sadness, I learned of the death of Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. I express my sincere condolences,” reads Pope Leo XIV’s condolence letter, released by the Catholic Church’s news agency and addressed to Metropolitan Shio, locum tenens of the patriarchal throne and the Holy Synod.
In his letter, the Pope notes that Ilia II stood by the Georgian people during a period of hardship and fundamental epochal changes throughout his term of patriarchal service.
“Through his service, he stood by the Georgian people during a period of hardship and fundamental epochal changes, lovingly protecting traditions and filling the hearts of people and the entire society with hope,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV recalls that Ilia II was a voice of reconciliation and a tireless creator of unity, and he notes that Ilia II met his two predecessors, Saint John Paul II and Pope Francis, with warmth and fraternal spirit.
“I ask Virgin Mary to cover Your Highness the Patriarchate, the Holy Synod, and the entire Georgian nation with a mantle of consolation and love,” the letter reads.
Georgia: A period of national mourning
The late Patriarch Ilia II fell asleep in the Lord yesterday, March 17, 2026, at the age of 93, leaving behind nearly five decades of spiritual leadership in the Orthodox Church of Georgia.
Following the announcement of his death, the Georgian government declared a period of national mourning. Flags on public and administrative buildings will fly at half-staff in his honor.
News of the Patriarch’s death has evoked deep emotions worldwide, both within and beyond the Orthodox community.
Photos: 1tv.ge
