Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II, hailed as an ‘epochal figure,’ dies at 93

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II, the longtime head of the Georgian Orthodox Church and one of the country’s most influential figures, has died. He was 93.

Ilia II died late Tuesday after being hospitalized in critical condition with internal bleeding.

“He was an epochal figure; it is a tremendous loss for the entire Orthodox Church,” said Shio Mujiri, who temporarily took over the leadership of the church pending the election of a new patriarch.

Ilia II led the church for nearly five decades. He assumed the leadership role in 1977, when Georgia was part of the Soviet Union and religious practices were restricted, and remained a dominant spiritual and public figure after Georgia regained independence.

A new patriarch is to be elected within two months.