He was like a second spiritual father to me. For us, His Holiness Patriarch Ilia is now considered a guardian angel. Not only have you lost your holy father, your spiritual father, we have also lost a great leader of the Orthodox Church, and we believe that not only Georgia, but the entire Orthodox world has been orphaned, - Metropolitan Isaiah Thomas-Barkh, representative of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, told journalists at the Sioni Cathedral.

“Yesterday I arrived in Tbilisi from the island of Cyprus as a representative of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and Archbishop Georgios. I knew Patriarch Ilia II personally. He was like a second spiritual father to me. For us, His Holiness Patriarch Ilia is now considered a guardian angel. Not only have you lost your holy father, your spiritual father, we have also lost a great leader of the Orthodox Church, and we believe that not only Georgia, but the entire Orthodox world has been orphaned. However, we are confident that now, as a holy person, he is a guardian angel for all of us. We have not lost one person, we have gained one guardian angel. There are big problems in the world now: wars, various divisions, problems in the Orthodox world and everywhere, and his prayers are needed.

He chose the most difficult time, he went to heaven in order to be closer to the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, to help us with prayers. I convey the condolences of the Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios, and our Synod to the Georgian people and assure you that the love of our Patriarch, Ilia II, will always be eternal. The union of our churches will be eternal thanks to his love and his prayers. May the Lord protect you," the representative of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus noted.