The widely perceived front-runner to replace Ilia II is believed to favor the strengthening of ties between the country’s Georgian Dream leadership and Russia. From Eurasianet.
The Georgian Orthodox Church is preparing to select a new patriarch following the death of Ilia II, the longest-serving prelate of the world’s oldest Christian denomination.
Ilia II, one of the Georgia’s most influential public figures, died at the age of 93 on 17 March and was buried in Sioni Cathedral, in the heart of Tbilisi’s Old Town, five days later.
With Ilia II’s burial, attention now is shifting to the question of succession. The new Catholicos-Patriarch will be elected by a Holy Synod, currently composed of 39 bishops. The selection must occur within two months, and the new patriarch will need to receive at least 20 votes of synod members.
Ilia II previously named Metropolitan Shio Mujiri to act as the church’s interim leader, serving until the selection process for the new patriarch is completed. Mujiri’s present role is widely seen as positioning him as the front-runner to formally succeed Ilia II.
Mujiri is closely associated with ruling Georgian Dream party circles. He has frequently appeared at party events and is known to be friendly with Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s billionaire impresario. The warm relationship was on display during the funeral ceremonies for Ilia II.
Broadly speaking, observers do not expect major shifts in the church’s direction, as most senior clerics are seen as broadly aligned with the current government.
Mujiri underwent his theological training in Russia, and is viewed by some observers as an advocate for close ties with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church. Gocha Mirtskhulava, a leading Georgian expert on church polity, said in an interview published by the Jamestown Foundation in 2017, “Metropolitan Shio is well known for his pro-Russian aspirations,” adding that he did not support the independence of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Ilia II led the Georgian Orthodox Church for nearly 50 years, having assumed the patriarchate in late 1977, during the twilight of the Soviet Stagnation Era. Over the subsequent five decades, he became perhaps the most prominent conservative voice in Georgia. Public opinion polls consistently showed that he enjoyed the highest level of trust among public figures, and his interventions in political debates carried weight that few, if any, secular leaders could ignore.
That standing, however, was tested in recent years by a series of controversies within the church. These included internal power struggles within the Holy Synod, allegations surrounding a possible poisoning attempt against the Patriarch, criticism from liberal groups over the church’s perceived tolerant stance on violence against LGBTQ individuals, and accusations of alignment with the government’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies and rejection of Western values, despite a constitutional mandate that officials pursue policies to gain accession to the European Union.
Ilia II was also credited with initiatives aimed at addressing Georgia’s demographic challenges. One of his most notable efforts was a program in which he personally baptized every third child in a family.
In his later years, Ilia II largely withdrew from public life due to declining health, often appearing only with assistance, and speaking in public infrequently. He was largely represented to the public through his written Christmas and Easter epistles. In one of his final messages, he addressed the issue of artificial intelligence, warning that despite its benefits, AI “also contains great dangers, which could push the world toward the abyss and make it a victim of previously unknown sins.”
Critics have long argued that these texts were not written or fully shaped by the patriarch himself.
Ilia II’s influence made him a focal point for political leaders seeking legitimacy. Successive governments, particularly the ruling Georgian Dream party officials, along with Ivanishvili, have emphasized their alignment with the church’s conservative values.
The church’s political preferences were visible even during the mourning period. When Illa II’s body was lying in state at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, opposition figures and even former Georgian Dream officials were largely treated as ordinary citizens, waiting in long lines outside, while individuals close to Georgian Dream were seen near the coffin and prominently photographed.
This article originally appeared on Eurasianet and is republished by permission.
