“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.
