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On Sunday, March 22, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon attended the funeral of the newly departed His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, March 17, at the age of 93, after nearly fifty years of primatial service to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
His Beatitude traveled to Tbilisi on Saturday, March 21, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Vasily of San Francisco and the West. Joining them was Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk, Dean of the Representation Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine in Moscow.
Upon arrival, His Beatitude was received by a delegation of the Georgian Orthodox Church headed by His Grace Bishop Saba of the Georgian Diocese of North America. The delegation escorted His Beatitude to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, where Patriarch Ilia was laid. There, His Beatitude and His Grace offered a litya for the repose of the Patriarch and conveyed condolences to His Eminence Metropolitan Shio, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, as well as to the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Georgian Orthodox Church. On this occasion, His Beatitude also expressed the prayers and fraternal solidarity of the Orthodox Church in America during this time of mourning.
On Sunday, March 22, His Beatitude attended the Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Cathedral, presided over by Metropolitan Shio, followed by the funeral service, presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His Beatitude attended the services alongside the primates and representatives of several local Orthodox Churches, as well as delegations from around the world, bearing witness to the deep respect and love held for the late Patriarch.
His Beatitude’s presence at the funeral underscored the fraternal bonds between the Orthodox Church in America and the Georgian Orthodox Church, and the unity of the Orthodox Church in prayer for the repose of His Holiness.
His Beatitude is scheduled to return to the United States on Monday, March 23.
