The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia has expressed its deep condolences to the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Georgian people and the entire population of Georgia following the death of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II.

This is stated in a condolence message by Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, the head of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The message notes that Ilia II’s name will forever remain as a spiritual father of the nation and a symbol of the salvation of the Georgian people, Panorama.am reports.

“The entire life of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, his devotion to the Church, to spiritual service, to his people and to all humanity is indelibly written in the pages of spiritual history. His name will forever remain as the spiritual father of the nation and a symbol of the salvation of the Georgian people.

The Armenian Diocese of Georgia, led by His Grace Bishop Kirakos Davtyan, prays to God that He grant the departed soul His heavenly light,” the condolence message says.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II passed away at the age of 93. During his leadership, especially in the 1980s, Georgia experienced a large-scale revival of Orthodoxy. Over recent decades the number of dioceses in the country increased to 43, while the number of churches grew from 48 in 1977 to around 1,000.

During his tenure new theological institutions were opened, including the Tbilisi Theological Academy, and the country’s largest church — the Holy Trinity (Sameba) Patriarchal Cathedral in Tbilisi — was built.