Serbian Patriarch Porfirije holds memorial for Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije conducted a memorial service in Belgrade for His Holiness, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia at the Patriarchal Residence chapel. The service was attended by the head of the Patriarchate Chancellery.

Following the prayer, Patriarch Porfirije sent condolences to the Georgian Patriarchate, the Holy Synod, the clergy, monastic communities, and all Georgian faithful. He described Ilia II as a beloved father and leading figure of the Georgian people and honored his spiritual legacy.

Porfirije highlighted the Patriarch’s decades-long role in strengthening faith, preserving traditions, and maintaining the spiritual identity of the Georgian people. He noted that Ilia II’s life left an indelible mark not only on his flock but on the wider Orthodox Christian world.

Patriarch Ilia II, who led the Georgian Orthodox Church for decades, died on 17 March at the age of 93. He will be buried at Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi on 22 March.