Opinion: After Ilia II’s death, no figure remains to call for reconciliation and dialogue in Georgia

Opinion on the Patriarch of Georgia

According to political analyst Gia Khukhashvili, there is no one left in Georgia who can compare to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, whom he described as the last unifying authority for the public. He said that following the Patriarch’s death, the country’s unity faces even greater risks, as Ilia II was among the few figures capable of navigating highly complex political tensions.

Khukhashvili also said that all of Georgia’s presidents, including Mikheil Saakashvili, should have attended the Patriarch’s funeral.

Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II was buried on Sunday, 22 March 2026, at Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi. After five days of mourning, the country bid farewell to a figure who for nearly half a century shaped the direction of the Church and, often, of society as a whole. His funeral became a major historic event and a display of collective emotion.

Patriarch’s funeral: farewell ceremony of unprecedented scale in Tbilisi. Photos/videos

The death of Ilia II at the age of 93 is widely seen as the end of an era in which the Church was one of the main pillars of social stability

Gia Khukhashvili said:

“Yesterday marked a turning point in Georgia’s history. After the Patriarch’s death, the country’s unity faces even greater risks, because he was a figure who could navigate very complex political battles, playing the role of a mediator.

In modern Georgia, there is no one left who can call for reconciliation and dialogue — he was the last authority in the country.

Bishop Shio may be a very intelligent person, but he does not yet have the status or experience of a church leader. He does not command the same level of authority as Ilia II. For his words to carry weight and significance, he must first build that authority.

In recent years, when the Patriarch no longer seemed able to fully control the situation, certain problems emerged within the Church, including political bias, interference in politics — largely in favour of the government — and various public statements. Clearly, this was not in the Patriarch’s style.”

In Tbilisi, thousands of people are standing in line for hours to pay their respects to the Patriarch. Photos

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will conduct the rite on the day of the funeral together with Georgian senior clergy. Clergy from many countries are arriving, including representatives of the Vatican

“It is clear that Saakashvili is in prison, and that this is unacceptable. I do not hold him in high regard either, but he was the president of this country and worked in tandem with the Patriarch. If he had been brought to the funeral, what would have happened? Especially as the authorities said there would be no security risks.

Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Salome Zourabichvili, and the wife of Zviad Gamsakhurdia should have been there. The Patriarch runs as a leitmotif through the history of these figures in Georgia. For nearly half a century, he bore the heavy cross of our sins and has now passed into the Kingdom of Heaven burdened by them, and the people with whom he led this country, in sickness and in health, should have been there, at least symbolically.”

Opinion on the Patriarch of Georgia