Ilia II of Georgia, the Georgian Orthodox hierarch who served as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia since 1977, died on March 17, 2026, at age 93.
Born Irakli Gudushauri-Shiolashvili on January 4, 1933, in Ordzhonikidze, in the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, he was the longest serving patriarch in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He led the church through a period of growth and restoration in Georgia, including after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Ilia II (secular name Irakli Gudushauri-Shiolashvili; 4 January 1933 – 17 March 2026) was the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia from 1977 until his death in 2026. He was the longest serving patriarch in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which spans more than a millennium.