“When it seemed that new hopes were arising, Ilia II was already seeing future threats. In his words spoken in 2004, the entire architecture of the trials the nation and the Church would face is clearly outlined,” writes the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, sharing an interview with Ilia II from 2004.

According to Papuashvili, the Patriarch spoke about external forces that do not want a strong Church in Georgia — a Church that unites the people, protects their identity, and strengthens their spiritual foundation.

He emphasizes that there is no longer any distinction between pro-Western or anti-Western, pro-Russian or anti-Russian, pro-Chinese-Iranian-European or otherwise. There is only Georgian and anti-Georgian.

"In these days, as we honor the memory of our Patriarch, we also recall his words and exhortations, which he left us in abundance. Particularly impressive are the words where he described both the situation that had arisen and the processes the Church and the state would have to undergo.

Under his guidance, the Church became a refuge, the only anchor in an era when the storm did not subside. The brutality of atheism, persecution, the erosion of identity, civil conflict, poverty, and despair — at the center of all this stood the Church, as the last bastion.

And precisely when new hopes seemed to be born, Ilia II was already seeing the future threats. In his 2004 words, the full architecture of the trials facing the nation and the Church is clearly evident.

The Patriarch spoke of external forces that do not want a strong Church in Georgia. They do not want a Church that unites the people, protects their identity, and strengthens their spiritual foundation.

And if the Church does not serve their globalist agenda, they will attempt to destroy it — through division, discredit, humiliation, attaching anti-Western or pro-Russian labels.

They give false names to these processes — ‘civil society,’ invent false ideologies — ‘gender identity,’ and present them as unconditional progress, inherently admirable and salvific.

They offer a world where unelected NGOs stand above the will of the people, where fashionable theories stand above tradition, and where temporary ideologies are placed above faith.

It is precisely this falsehood and danger that the Patriarch exposed back in 2004, at a time when these processes were only beginning and invisible to many. He foresaw the difficult years ahead, which for nine years interrupted the natural harmony between Church and state.

The Patriarch’s contribution over the past decades is immense, but his steadfastness, wisdom, and foresight in guarding the nation make him the true father of the people. He was a unifier, even when society was divided. He was a diplomat, but never compromised on matters concerning Georgia’s national and spiritual values.

Fortunately, he lived to see the time when the most important national concepts returned to the agenda of state policy — independence, sovereignty, freedom, and statehood, whose spiritual foundation is the two-millennia-old Georgian Church.

There is no longer any pro-Western or anti-Western, pro-Russian or anti-Russian, pro-Chinese-Iranian-European or otherwise. There is only Georgian and anti-Georgian.

There exists a patriot who serves their own country, acts in its interests, and carries its burdens; and there exists a protester who acts consciously or unconsciously for foreign interests, standing under their flags, enchanted by foreign influence.

Here lies the line.

We have been in this struggle for many centuries. It is a struggle for faith, identity, and freedom — and in this struggle, we will prevail, just as we have for centuries,” writes Papuashvili.