The funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, will take place today in Georgia.

The funeral service will begin at 09:00 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. The service will be led by Shio Mujiri, Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, together with members of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

At 12:15, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I, along with Metropolitan Shio and members of the Holy Synod, will perform the burial service for the late Patriarch.

Delegations from various countries will attend the ceremony, and speeches are also planned.

At 15:00, the coffin of Ilia II will be taken from the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, and a procession on foot will proceed to the Sioni Cathedral. Along the route, a live corridor will be arranged, allowing citizens to pay their respects and lay flowers. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on screens installed along the road.

During the funeral service at Sioni Cathedral, only clergy will be present inside the cathedral.

From the time the Patriarch is brought to Sioni Cathedral until the burial, funeral bells will ring in all active churches across Georgia.

Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. The Patriarch will be laid to rest at Sioni Cathedral.