Georgian priest on Patriarch Ilia: We will soon have a new saint

Fr. Ilia Shlepegrell. Photo: UOJ

The UOJ in Germany has published an interview with Fr. Ilia Shlepegrell, a priest of the German and Austrian Eparchy of the Georgian Church, who ministers to the Georgian Orthodox community of St. George in Bremen as well as the German-speaking community of Saints Ansgar and Lambert.

Fr. Ilia admitted that the news of the repose of His Holiness Ilia II deeply shook him. He had the honor of meeting the Patriarch in person, speaking with him, and receiving his blessing, and that encounter remained for him an immeasurable gift.

“I will also be at the funeral, to bid him farewell in person. We will soon have a new saint,” the priest said.

Speaking about the role of Patriarch Ilia II in the life of the Georgian Church, Fr. Ilia said that he inherited a Church gravely weakened by the Soviet era, with only a handful of active parishes and very few priests, and yet succeeded in restoring it to flourishing life. The Patriarch not only rebuilt church structures, but above all strengthened the faith of the people. A special role was played by the revival of traditional Georgian church chant, which had been nearly lost during the Soviet period. That liturgical tradition restored to the Georgian Church its own distinct identity in the Orthodox world.

Regarding the impact of the primate’s death on Orthodox communities outside Georgia, the priest emphasized the Patriarch’s unifying role: “He united an entire people.” Much, he said, will depend on how the life of the Church is arranged after him and on who becomes the new Patriarch.

Fr. Ilia also noted that His Holiness Ilia II possessed an exceptionally balanced and peaceable character, which helped him serve as a mediator among different currents within the Georgian Church. His calm and thoughtful nature helped preserve the path of dialogue and prevent tensions from escalating.

Among the spiritual lessons to be drawn from the Patriarch’s life, the priest named humility, patience, and steadfastness in faith. “He showed that a spiritual shepherd acts not through outward power, but through faithfulness, prayer, and self-sacrifice,” Fr. Ilia stressed.

In the priest’s view, the most difficult part of the Patriarch’s ministry was rebuilding the Church after decades of atheism and persecution. The most inspiring thing for the faithful, however, was his fatherly aura: many saw in him not simply a Patriarch, but a spiritual father.

As for the future of the Georgian Church, Fr. Ilia expressed confidence that the foundation laid by His Holiness Ilia II is firm. If the Church remains faithful to Holy Tradition, it will continue to play an important role, both in Georgia itself and in the diaspora.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Georgian Patriarch Ilia II had reposed in the Lord.

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