Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia died on March 17 at age 93 in Tbilisi
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Summary
Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia died on March 17 at age 93 in Tbilisi. He was hospitalized the previous night with a massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage and spent his final hours in intensive care at the Caucasus Medical Center. Ilia II had served as the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, making his 48-year patriarchate the longest in the country's history. His body will be taken to Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral, and Georgia has declared a period of mourning. His tenure was marked by the restoration of the Georgian Church's autocephaly, which was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1990. The patriarch was also notable for being a godfather to tens of thousands of children through mass baptisms.
★ Why It Matters
The death of Ilia II marks the end of a nearly five-decade era for the Georgian Orthodox Church, a central institution in Georgian society and politics. His leadership spanned the late Soviet period and Georgia's independence, during which he played a key role in re-establishing the church's autocephaly and national identity. His passing creates a major vacancy in a deeply influential religious and cultural position, with significant implications for Georgia's social and political landscape.