Georgian Patriarch Ilia II marks 47th anniversary of enthronement

Patriarch Ilia II. Photo: kavkazplus.com

On December 25, 2023, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, and Metropolitan of Pitsunda and Tskhum-Abkhazia Ilia II celebrates the 47th anniversary of his enthronement.

This makes the tenure of Patriarch Ilia II the longest in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch’s enthronement took place on December 25, 1977, at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

Honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, congratulated the Patriarch and stated that the day of his enthronement is a historic day for Georgia. “47 years ago, a new era began in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Apostolic Church,” he noted.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Primate of the Georgian Church, Patriarch Ilia, had earlier addressed the Georgian people in connection with protest actions in the capital.

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