Born Irakli Ghoudouchaouri-Chiolachvili in 1933, he climbed the ranks of the ecclesiastical hierarchy during the time of the USSR, of which Georgia was one of the fifteen republics, and became a central moral figure of the Georgian independence movement, writes the French Publication Le Figaro.

Patriarch Ilia II, who led the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church for nearly half a century, died Tuesday at the age of 93, the Church announced. He was an iconic figure in this Caucasus country where the Church, which maintains close ties with the authorities, remains highly influential, shaping public life. “I offer my condolences to Georgia and the entire Christian world”, Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, who has been appointed to lead the autocephalous apostolic Church until the election of a new patriarch, told reporters.

Ilia II was hospitalized Tuesday morning for a “massive abdominal hemorrhage”, according to Sopio Aspanidze, director of the Caucasus Medical Center. He had presided over the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, making him one of the longest-serving religious leaders in the world.

Under his authority, the Church extended its influence over Georgian political and public life.

Born Irakli Ghoudouchaouri-Chiolashvili in 1933, he rose through the ranks of the ecclesiastical hierarchy during the Soviet era, of which Georgia was one of fifteen republics, and became a central moral figure in the Georgian independence movement. Highly respected in his country, Ilia II, the 141st primate of the Georgian Church, played a stabilizing role during the political crises that plagued Georgia, often acting as a mediator between rival factions.

Under his authority, the Church extended its influence over Georgian political and public life, while maintaining close ties with the state. However, some critics reproach the Church for its timid reaction to government repression against the opposition and civil society, its support for conservative legislation, and its reluctance to challenge the Georgian Dream government, the ruling party, which was accused of eroding democratic principles.

The origins of the Georgian Church, one of the 14 autonomous Orthodox Churches in the world, date back to the early 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion in the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia”, - reads the article.