LAST UPDATE: 18:30
The public funeral is attended by representatives of executive and legislative authorities, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Honorary Chair of the Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili, alongside his family members.
The procession on foot transferred the remains of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, from the Patriarchal Residence to the Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral.
A procession was set off on foot from the Patriarchal residence at 4:00 p.m.
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. In addition to Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, Patriarch Daniel of Romania, and Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, who expressed their deep sorrow over the Patriarch’s passing, messages of condolence and sympathy arrived today from state representatives and leaders of other religious denominations.
In a statement, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri) emphasized that Patriarch Ilia II was “a man of an entire era, and his loss is incalculable for the whole Orthodox Church.”
Read here: What is the procedure for the election of a Patriarch in the Georgian Orthodox Church
Photos: https://1tv.ge/
