Mass turnout is expected as Georgia lays Patriarch Ilia II, the late leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, to rest on March 22. Ilia II, the longest-serving Georgian Patriarch, who led the Church for nearly half a century, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93, after being hospitalized with severe internal bleeding. His tenure, spanning Georgia’s transition from the Soviet era to independence, was marked by a significant rise in the Church’s influence. Despite recurring controversies surrounding the institution, Ilia II remained a figure who consistently commanded the highest levels of public trust.
The late Patriarch will be buried at Sioni Cathedral in downtown Tbilisi, where his predecessors have been laid to rest, in accordance with his reported wishes. His body will be transferred there in a procession after 3 p.m. from Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, where it has lain in repose and where tens of thousands have lined up in recent days to pay their final respects. People will be able to attend the procession through human corridors. The service at Holy Trinity Cathedral, led by Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Shio, is set to begin at 9 a.m., with access restricted to pass holders. Bartholomew I of Constantinople is expected to arrive at 12:15 p.m. and take part in the funeral service alongside Georgian hierarchs. Read more here.
- Below we offer live updates and key highlights from a busy day of the funeral (all times are local):
09:00 – Liturgy Starts
The Sunday liturgy starts at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Patriarchal Locum Tenens Shio Mujiri leads the service. A limited number of people are inside the cathedral, including senior Georgian Dream leaders, among them Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, and GD-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili. People are gathering outside.
