Patriarch Shio of Georgia: Late Patriarch Ilia was steadfast in faith

Patriarch Shio of Georgia praised the unwavering faith and enduring legacy of the Late Patriarch Ilia II during a memorial service held on the occasion of Iliaoba, the feast day marking the Patriarch’s name day.

Speaking at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and later at the tomb of the late Patriarch at Sioni Cathedral, Patriarch Shio reflected on the life and ministry of Ilia II, describing him as a shepherd whose life was firmly founded “on the rock of the Church.”

“Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia was steadfast in faith and in the teaching of the Lord. He built his life upon the rock of the Church and was himself as firm as a rock in faith, in ecclesiastical life, and in leading the Church. Nothing could shake his faith, his zeal, or his hope in God, and alongside all this, he succeeded in leading a great spiritual and national renewal in our country and our Church,” Patriarch Shio said.

Drawing on the Gospel account of Christ walking on the sea, he encouraged the faithful to place their trust in Christ amid the storms of life, emphasizing that the Lord remains the true foundation upon which every Christian life must be built.

Reflecting on the decades of Ilia II’s…