Speaking to the Patriarchate, Bishop Antoni of Vani and Baghdati emphasized the profound love that all of Georgia felt for His Holiness Ilia II and the pain his passing caused the nation. He noted that even those who had criticized the Patriarch likely felt something in this moment of grief.

“Have you all seen how much people loved him and how deeply Georgia felt this loss? So many things were said about the Patriarch, yet look at the love that surrounded him. This is a lifetime of service. I am sure that even those who once judged him felt something at this moment. You cannot help but feel it. He was a man of an era - the entire era was embodied in the Patriarch. Everything passed over him, rested on his shoulders, and he bore it with dignity. To be loved by so many… who else in history was so loved? Certainly, Ilia Chavchavadze was. Now, with the many means of communication - television, social media - this love and recognition are even more visible,” Bishop Antoni said.

On the matter of the burial site, Bishop Antoni explained that his recommendation is the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, because “the Patriarch is the very image of the Trinity.”

“Isn’t it a testament to his will, expressed while he was alive? I do not think his will would say otherwise. If asked, I think the Trinity is his image - the Patriarch is the image of the Trinity. Therefore, my proposal will be that he be buried in the Holy Trinity Cathedral,” he stated.

He also noted that many international guests are expected, not only from the Orthodox world but from other faiths as well, emphasizing the universal respect and recognition the Patriarch commanded.

For context, His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia, passed away at the age of 93, and a period of national mourning has been declared in Georgia.