His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, has been laid to rest at the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi.
The funeral ceremony for the 141st Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia began in the morning at the Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral, where the Divine Liturgy commenced at 09:00.
The service was attended by His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, who led the funeral rites together with the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri), and members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Following the service, addresses were delivered by the Ecumenical Patriarch, as well as by the President of Georgia, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Honorary Chairman of the ruling party, Georgian Dream.
Representatives of various religious confessions, members of the diplomatic corps, and international delegations from multiple countries were also present at the ceremony.
After the service, Ilia II was carried out from the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and a funeral procession accompanied him through Tbilisi to the Sioni Cathedral, where he was buried.
From the moment the Patriarch was brought to Sioni Cathedral until his burial, mourning bells rang in all active churches across Georgia.
The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93.
