Georgian Patriarch Ilia II Dies at 93 After 46-Year Leadership

Georgian Orthodox Church leader Ilia II died on Tuesday at 93, the church announced. He had been hospitalized earlier that day with severe internal bleeding.

"The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, has reposed in the Lord," said Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, who will lead the church until a new patriarch is elected.

Ilia II led the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church since 1977, serving as a stabilizing force during times of political turmoil and expanding the church's influence in both religious and state affairs.

Born Irakli Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili in 1933, Ilia II rose to prominence during the Soviet era and became a dominant spiritual and public figure after Georgia's independence. He was the 141st primate of the Georgian Church, one of the world's 14 self-governed Orthodox churches tracing its roots back to the 4th century.