Orthodox Georgians bid final farewell to longstanding patriarch

Mourners attend a funeral service of the late Georgia's Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II outside the Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia March 22, 2026. Giorgi Arjevanidze/Pool via REUTERS

TBILISI, ⁠March 22 (Reuters) - Large crowds of Orthodox Christians gathered ⁠in the centre of the Georgian capital ‌on Sunday to mourn Ilia II, the spiritual leader who led the church through nearly half a century of Georgia's often ​tumultuous history.

Ilia II, born Irakli Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili, ⁠died on Tuesday in ⁠hospital aged 93, having served as patriarch in the ⁠overwhelmingly ‌Orthodox country for 49 years.