In a message read during the funeral ceremony of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, Pope Leo XIV describes him as the 'voice of reconciliation' and 'tireless builder of unity.' He also recalls his passion for music, 'an inspiration for the search for beauty' that unites the Churches.
Vatican News On March 17, the longest serving patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, died after being hospitalized earlier that day. During the funeral of the late patriarch, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, read a message by Pope Leo XIV addressed to His Eminence Shio Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku Locum Tenens of the of the Patriarchal See Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Georgia. “In sending my heartfelt condolences I assure Your Eminence, the Holy Synod, and the entire Orthodox Church of Georgia of my fraternal solidarity in your grief”, the Pope wrote. He also said he will join in their prayers and remembrance of the patriarch, who had served as the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Abkhazia and Bichvinta. A devoted witness of faith In the message, the Holy Father reflected on the long life of Patriarch Ilia II (1933-2026), describing him as “a devoted witness to faith in the Risen Christ.” The Patriarch’s ministry involved accompanying the people of Georgia “through difficult times and profound epochal change, lovingly preserving tradition and opening hearts and communities to hope” - including the Georgian civil war (1991-1993). Moreover, Pope Leo highlighted the Catholicos-Patriarch’s love and passion for music. This, the Holy Father said, “is a stimulus to the search for the beauty of God and can unite peoples, bringing Churches closer together beyond cultural and theological differences.” During his 49-year ministry (1977-2026), Patriarch Ilia II was a “spiritual father, a voice of reconciliation and a tireless builder of unity” for many. The Catholicos-Patriarch had met with two of Pope Leo’s predecessors: Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. In 1999, the Polish pope and the Patriarch made an urgent appeal for peace to the world during Pope John Paul II’s journey to Georgia. Seventeen years later in October 2016, Pope Francis also visited Tbilisi in Georgia and met with Patriarch Ilia II. Do not despair Entrusting the Patriarch to God, Pope Leo recalled the words of St. Paul, which offers a reminder that Jesus’ resurrection is the building block of the Christian faith and the course of our hope. Therefore, he urged, “face with the death of a Shepherd, our hearts do not yield to despair.” Rather, they turn to the certainty that life that has been transformed into something new instead of having been taken away. Closing his message, Pope Leo expressed his fraternal closeness to His Eminence Shio as he bears “the weight of the ministry of Locum Tenens.” The Pope assured him of his prayers “so that you may accompany the Orthodox Church of Georgia with that same pastoral charity which animated the late Patriarch.” Pope Leo asked the Mother of God to protect His Eminence, the Holy Synod, and the entire Georgian population. Georgian Orthodox Church The Georgian Orthodox Church is a branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church with historical ties to and cultural importance in the country of Georgia. With more than 3 million members, it is the largest Christian denomination in the country.