The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, marked 47 years since his enthronement on December 25, 2024, according to the press service of the Georgian Patriarchate. A solemn liturgy was held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, led by Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri), the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne.

In his address, Metropolitan Shio described the enthronement of the Patriarch as the beginning of a new era for the Church and the nation. Patriarch Ilia II was enthroned on December 25, 1977, at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, the principal cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Shio highlighted the Patriarch's service as significant and transformative, calling his achievements monumental.

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze also extended congratulations, acknowledging the Patriarch’s spiritual leadership during times of change and challenge for the country. Patriarch Ilia II ascended to the throne at the age of 44 and initiated a revival of Orthodoxy in Georgia. In 1977, there were 48 churches in the country; today, there are approximately 1,000. The number of dioceses has grown to 42. Spiritual educational institutions, including the Tbilisi and Gelati Academies, have been established. The Holy Trinity Cathedral, the largest church in the country, was built in Tbilisi during his tenure.

Patriarch Ilia II remains one of the most revered figures in Georgia, consistently ranking as the most trusted public figure in national surveys.

Ilia II was born on January 4, 1933, in Vladikavkaz to a family from the Kazbegi region. His father, Giorgi Simonovich Shiolashvili, hailed from the village of Sno, while his mother, Natalia Iosifovna Kobaidze, was from Sioni. The future Patriarch was baptized on Christmas Day in a Georgian church and named Irakli, in honor of King Erekle II. After finishing school in Vladikavkaz in 1952, he enrolled in the Moscow Theological Seminary, later continuing at the Moscow Theological Academy.

On April 16, 1957, during his studies at the academy, Irakli Shiolashvili was tonsured a monk under the name Ilia at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Tbilisi. The tonsure was performed by Bishop Zinovy (Mazuga), who foretold the young monk’s future as Patriarch. In May 1959, Patriarch Alexy I ordained him a hieromonk. Ilia completed his studies in 1960, defending his thesis on the history of the Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos, earning a degree in theology.

Upon returning to Georgia, Ilia served at the Batumi Cathedral and was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in 1961. In 1963, he became Bishop of Shemokmedi and later rector of the Mtskheta Theological Seminary. By 1969, he had been elevated to Metropolitan. In 1977, he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, and his enthronement took place on December 25 of that year.