Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel arrives in Georgia for funeral of Patriarch Ilia

A Bulgarian Church delegation led by Patriarch Daniel in Georgia. Photo: UOJ

On March 21, 2026, Patriarch Daniel, the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, arrived in Georgia for the funeral service of Patriarch Ilia II. He heads the official delegation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech arrived in Tbilisi together with the Primate.

The visit of the Bulgarian First Hierarch became part of large-scale mourning events, to which representatives of Local Orthodox Churches are gathering to bid farewell to the newly-reposed Patriarch-Catholicos.

Patriarch Ilia II, who headed the Georgian Church for decades, enjoyed deep respect throughout the Orthodox world. The participation of heads of other Local Churches in his funeral service underscores the stature of the late hierarch and the significance of his contribution to strengthening inter-church unity.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that delegations from the Albanian and Czech Churches, headed by their Primates, also arrived for the burial of the First Hierarch of Georgia.

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