Heads of Albanian and Czech Churches arrive for Patriarch Ilia’s funeral

Hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches. Photo: UOJ

On March 21, 2026, official delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches arrived in Georgia to participate in the farewell ceremonies for the newly departed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II.

Arriving in Tbilisi was the primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Archbishop Joan of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania. His Beatitude is accompanied by Fr. Spiro Topanxha. Also arriving for the mourning ceremonies was a delegation of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, headed by its primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav.

On Sunday, March 22, at 9:00 a.m. local time, the Divine Liturgy will begin. The service will be led by the locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Shio, concelebrating with a host of hierarchs.

The funeral service and burial of the primate of the Georgian Church will take place at 12:00 p.m. Delegations of the Local Churches from around the world and thousands of faithful are expected to come to bid farewell to Ilia II.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Sergiy served a memorial litiya for Patriarch Ilia at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.

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