Georgian Catholics Patriarch Ilia II turns 88
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Catholics Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II turned 88 today. He has been leading the spiritual life of the Orthodox Georgian parish for 43 years now.
No traditional service dedicated to the event was conducted today. Ilia II has been in isolation for several weeks as a cautionary measure against contracting the coronavirus.
Ilia II was born Irakli Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili in Vladikavkaz (then Ordzhonikidze), currently North Ossetia [Russian Federation] in 1933.
In 1967 he was appointed bishop of Tskhumi and Abkhazeti in the western, currently occupied region, and elevated to the rank of metropolitan in 1969.
Ilia II became the Georgian patriarch back in 1977.
After the death of Patriarch David V, he was elected the new Catholics-Patriarch of Georgia on December 25, 1977.
In the new position Ilia II has initiated a range of reforms, enabling the Georgian Orthodox Church to largely regain its former influence and prestige by the late 1980s.
From 1978 to 1983, Ilia II was Co-President of the World Council of Churches (WCC), an ecumenical organisation the Georgian Orthodox Church had joined with other Soviet churches in 1962.
In May 1997, the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church announced its withdrawal from the WCC.
The 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US Department of States says that Georgian laws and policies continue to grant the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) unique privileges.
Orthodox Christians in Georgia and across the world are celebrating the Epiphany today, during which the Georgian Orthodox Church conducts water blessing rituals.
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, who will turn 87 in January, has marked the 42nd anniversary of his appointment to the position.
Pope Francis invited Georgian Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II to the Vatican next year. In a letter which was published earlier today, Pope Francis recalled his visit to Georgia back in 2016, saying he wished to meet with Ilia II again next year.
The secretary of Georgia’s Catholics Patriarch Ilia II, Shorena Tetruashvili, has tested positive for coronavirus.
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II and other members of the patriarchate have tested negative for coronavirus, Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze has stated. The tests have been conducted at the patriarchate after the secretary of Ilia II, Shorena Tetruashvili, contracted the virus earlier this week.
Catholics Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II has turned 89 today. He has been leading the spiritual life of the Orthodox Georgian Church for 44 years.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has praised the role of the Georgian Orthodox Church as “crucial” in the development of the nation, in comments marking an anniversary of the 1917 restoration of its independence from Russian religious authorities on Friday.