BREAKING: Patriarch Ilia II, Leader of Georgian Orthodox Church, Dies at 93

2026-03-17 - 18:53

Patriarch Ilia II, whose nearly five decades of rule have marked the growing influence of the Georgian Orthodox Church, has died at the age of 93, nearly a day after he was hospitalized amid deteriorating health, Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, Patriarchal locum tenens, announced late on March 17. He died in the Caucasus Medical Center, a hospital in Tbilisi, where he had spent the past hours in intensive care after being admitted in the early hours with heavy stomach bleeding. The news of his death follows years of declining health, which had reduced his public appearances and services. His duties will be assumed by Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, who was named by Ilia II as his locum tenens in 2017, before the election of a new Patriarch by an extended church assembly. The rule of Ilia II, who became Patriarch in 1977, under Soviet rule, at the age of 44, has spanned Georgia’s major historical milestones, including the restoration of independence in 1991. Under his leadership, the Georgian Orthodox Church has become one of the country’s most influential institutions, with roughly 83% of the population identifying with it across political divides in an otherwise deeply polarized society. Ilia II has consistently topped approval rankings in Georgia, while the Church has likewise retained the status of the country’s most trusted institution. His rule was also marked by controversies, including scandals linked to internal power struggles, persistent questions surrounding the foreign policy leanings of the Church and its domestic political stances, as well as criticism over the state granting the Church preferential treatment, among others. More to follow....