According to the church, Georgian Orthodox Church leader Ilia II died on Tuesday at 93. ' Metropolitan Shio Mujiri will lead the church until the election of a new patriarch. A new patriarch is set to be elected within two months.
Ilia II led the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church since 1977, making him one of the world's longest-serving religious leaders. He was the 141st primate of the Georgian Church. Ilia II was born Irakli Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili in 1933.
The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, has reposed in the Lord.
He rose through the Soviet-era church hierarchy and became a dominant spiritual and public figure after Georgia regained independence. Ilia II was widely respected at home, playing a stabilizing role in times of political crisis, often mediating between rival factions. Under Ilia II's leadership, the church expanded its influence in Georgian politics and public life, while remaining close to the state.
Critics have accused the church of remaining silent over government crackdowns on opponents and civil society, supporting conservative laws, and its apparent reluctance to challenge the ruling Georgian Dream government over what critics call democratic erosion. The Georgian church is one of the world's 14 self-governed Orthodox churches. It traces its origins to the early 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia.
He was an epochal figure; it is a tremendous loss for the entire Orthodox Church.