His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, was buried at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.

His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, was buried at the Sioni Patriarchal Cathedral.

The funeral ceremony of the Patriarch was attended by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, together with President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and the honorary chairman of “Georgian Dream,” Bidzina Ivanishvili.

In his farewell speech, the head of government emphasized Ilia II’s role in strengthening the Christian faith of the Georgian people.

“I offer my condolences to all of Georgia. Today is a day filled with immense sorrow for each of us. Today marks the end of a great era. We bid farewell to our beloved Patriarch, a spiritual father who devoted his entire life to serving his homeland and the Mother Church. At the same time, today is also a day of elevation for every believing Georgian. Today, we can feel with particular intensity the greatness of our Patriarch and proudly remind ourselves how great a nation must be to give birth to such a figure.

The early years of His Holiness and Beatitude’s work coincided with a golden age of Georgian culture. The Georgian figures of that era created new creative treasures, enriching the spirituality of our country and people. His Holiness and Beatitude gave this work a new dimension and transformed it into the strengthening of the Christian faith.

Over the years, many figures and an entire generation that contributed greatly to the golden age of Georgian culture have passed into heavenly Georgia. Today, we bid farewell to the Patriarch who laid the foundation for the golden age of the revival of our Mother Church.

At such a moment, it is impossible not to feel deeply the words of a great Georgian poet: ‘All our ancestors have departed,’ and it is impossible not to be overwhelmed by a strong sense of orphanhood. The only thing that can ease this feeling is the belief that His Holiness remains with us and will strengthen our homeland and our Mother Church through his prayers from heavenly Georgia.

When I think about the Patriarch and his work, I recall other words from the same poem: ‘The field spreads under a gentle breeze, and I imagine within it an old father, an old father with pruning shears walking in the vineyard.’

This image of the old father will remain forever in our memory. We will often remember His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II as the old father tending his most precious vineyard, caring for the Mother Church, his homeland, and each of his spiritual children.

We thank His Holiness and Beatitude for his service, his great deeds, and immeasurable love. May God bless the soul of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II. May God bless and protect our Mother Church and our homeland,” the Prime Minister stated.