“Today, with special intensity, we can feel the greatness of our Patriarch and proudly remind ourselves how great a nation must be for such a figure to be born within it,” said the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, during his speech at the funeral ceremony of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Kobakhidze expressed condolences to the entire nation and thanked Ilia II for his service.

“I extend my condolences to all of Georgia. Today is a day of immense sorrow for each of us. A great era has come to an end. We bid farewell to our beloved Patriarch, our spiritual father, who devoted his entire life to serving his homeland and the Mother Church.

At the same time, today is also a day of uplift for every believing Georgian. Today, we can feel the greatness of our Patriarch with particular intensity and proudly remind ourselves how great a nation must be for such a figure to be born within it.

The early years of His Holiness and Beatitude’s service coincided with the golden age of Georgian culture. The great figures of that era created a new creative heritage, enriching the spiritual life of our country and people. His Holiness gave this work a new dimension and transformed it into the strengthening of the Christian faith.

Over the past years, many figures and generations that contributed significantly to the creation of Georgian culture’s golden age have passed into heavenly Georgia. And today, we bid farewell to the Patriarch, who laid the foundation for the golden age of the revival of our Church.

At such a moment, while saying farewell to the Patriarch, it is impossible not to feel with full intensity the words of a great Georgian poet: ‘All have departed from the ancestors...’ At such a time, one cannot help but feel the profound sense of being orphaned. The only thing that can ease this feeling is the belief that His Holiness remains with us and, from heavenly Georgia, will strengthen our homeland and our Mother Church with his prayers.

Today, as I reflect on the Patriarch and his work, I recall the words from the same poem by the great Georgian poet:

‘A gentle breeze spread across the field, and I imagine in its midst an old father, with a pruning knife in his hand, walking through the vineyard.’

This image of the old father will remain forever in our memory. We will often recall His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II as the old father caring for his most precious vineyard—watching over the Mother Church, his homeland, and each of his spiritual children.

We thank His Holiness and Beatitude for his service, his immense contribution, and his boundless love. May God bless the soul of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II. May God bless and protect our Mother Church and our homeland,” Kobakhidze said.