The death of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II on March 17, 2026, marks a turning point, exposing both the scale of his legacy and the risks of politicization within Georgia’s religious sphere.
Ilia II stood as the country’s most trusted and respected figure, consistently commanding approval ratings above 90%. He preserved the Church’s survival amid late-Soviet repressions. He then presided over its dramatic revival: restoring churches spared from Bolshevik demolitions and overseeing the construction of hundreds more in independent Georgia.
His legacy as a unifying spiritual anchor — blending deep faith, patriotism, and national resilience — now leaves the Church and country facing an uncertain succession. Ilia II was also a strong advocate of good relations between Georgia and Russia, especially in cultural and religious ties, having said that Russians and Georgians:
“Are brothers and friends of the same faith and should be closer to each other.”
Quoted by Russian radio, Ilia II also said:
“Georgia needs a strong Russia, like Russia needs a united and friendly Georgia. I think we will achieve this with the help of the Lord.”
The Georgian Patriarch was also instrumental in boosting Georgia’s birth rate by becoming godfather to all third or subsequent children born in the country, which tied into his strong support for traditional Christian family values, as well as his opposition to the evils of the Western-backed LGBTQ agenda and liberal globalism, seen in such events as the Church parade for the “Day of the Protection of the Holy Family,” held on May 17th each year.
Needless to say, this strong, noble, and faithful Patriarch infuriated Western embassies, not to mention their governments, and recent years have seen constant attacks on the Church and, by extension, the Patriarch, from Western-funded media and NGOs, EU and US ambassadors, and the LGBTQ* community, which occur even now as he lies in state in Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi.
Patriarch Ilia II also played a key role in reversing Georgia’s demographic decline by personally becoming godfather to every third or subsequent child born to married Orthodox couples—a policy launched in 2008 that contributed to a notable baby boom, with tens of thousands of such baptisms and studies linking it to higher fertility rates.
This initiative stemmed from his unwavering commitment to traditional Christian family values, including staunch opposition to Western-backed LGBTQ+ advocacy and liberal globalism. In 2014, he designated May 17 — the International Day Against Homophobia—as Georgia’s Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents, marked annually by church-led processions and celebrations of traditional family life.
Such resolute, faith-driven leadership inevitably provoked ire from Western embassies, governments, funded media, NGOs, EU and U.S. diplomats, and LGBTQ+ activists*. Attacks on the Church — and by extension the Patriarch — have persisted, even now as he lies in state at Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi.
The big question is what happens next?
The first steps will be for the Georgian Church to determine a replacement, which follows an ancient procedure of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Firstly, the Synod of Bishops will meet and determine 3 candidates, after which a committee of religious figures, traditionally numbering 50 members, will vote, thereby selecting a new Patriarch.
What is of great concern to Georgians is the very high likelihood of foreign interference in the process. Based on what has happened in Ukraine under Western influence, with the splitting of the Ukrainian Church by the highly divisive Tomos of Autocephaly issued, in violation of tradition and the Canons, by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, which set up a nationalistic ecumenist rival to the ancient Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the form of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the latter not recognized by the overwhelming majority of Orthodox Patriarchates.
Given the fundamental importance of the Orthodox Church to Georgians, it is now, almost certainly, a ripe target for US/EU/NATO attempts to split the faith to better push their “gay empire” and expansion agenda. Western-backed media is already, much to the disgust of ordinary Georgians, trying to blacken the name of the Patriarch, while Western NGO activists complain that the hundreds of thousands showing respect should “move to Rustaveli Avenue for revolution.” Needless to say, this is not going down very well.
There is a danger for Georgia. Like any human institution, there are those in the Georgian Orthodox Church that are not such men of integrity as the recently deceased Patriarch, just as there are those who match him in his dedication to the faith and the protection of his flock. The problem, as always, is knowing who is who.
The West should watch itself!
The West should be very careful in interfering in the internal religious matters of Georgia. The Georgian people are renowned, and rightly so, for their hospitality, but their patience has limits, and the efforts by the West and its servants are causing this to rapidly run out. Georgians are VERY friendly, until they are not.
Western interference risks igniting a powder keg, which may be entirely the point of doing so, and based on the statements and previous activities of foreign missions and NGOs, it is not hard to predict what can come next. One only needs to look at how they have had success in Armenia in turning much of the Armenian Church against the so-called pro-Western government.
It is ironic that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has spent recent years positioning himself as perhaps the most aggressive state-versus-church antagonist in modern Armenian history, has now issued a remarkably warm and reverent condolence message on the passing of Ilia II, the long-reigning Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
In his official letter (dated March 18, 2026), Pashinyan writes:
“I learned with deep sorrow about the passing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. Throughout nearly half a century of service, Ilia II’s life and service embodied the highest values of faith, patriotism, and friendship among nations.”
The full text reads like a heartfelt tribute to a towering spiritual leader who fused faith, national identity, and state stability — praising the very kind of influential church-state symbiosis that Pashinyan has spent years trying to dismantle at home. Since around 2025, Pashinyan has escalated an extraordinary campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church and its leader, Catholicos Karekin II. The parallel to a mafia rival sending the most extravagant wreath to a deceased competitor’s funeral, complete with flowery notes to the grieving family, is hard to ignore.
Enemy from within!
At the center of these allegations stands a figure with a notably checkered and opportunistic track record: Lasha Zhvania. A former Georgian Ambassador to Israel (serving multiple stints, including as recently as the early 2020s), ex-MP affiliated with the United National Movement (UNM)—the party long viewed as the primary vehicle for Western-oriented, Saakashvili-era policies—Zhvania has deep ties to international diplomacy, business, and humanitarian initiatives tied to the late Patriarch himself. He once served as general manager of Ilia II’s International Humanitarian Foundation, granting him insider access and credibility within Church circles.
Yet critics within Georgia paint him in far darker colors: as a covert operator, an “enemy from within,” or even a mole dedicated to advancing foreign special interests. His proximity to Israeli diplomatic and defense networks has fueled speculation, particularly given Georgia’s controversial 2008 arms deals (in which Israeli-supplied cluster munitions used in the Russia-Georgia war failed amid accusations of friendly-fire incidents and subsequent cover-ups).
Though direct evidence linking Zhvania personally to such incidents remains, his high-profile roles during that era, and his UNM alignment, have long made him a lightning rod for those who see Western (and specifically pro-NATO/EU) lobbies as threats to Georgian traditionalism and Church autonomy.
As the saying goes in Georgia, “The fortress walls fall from within.” The risk is real: a successor steered toward moderation or Western accommodation could erode the Church’s historic role as guardian of national spirit, potentially opening doors to the very cultural and ideological shifts that Ilia II resisted throughout his nearly half-century tenure.
Choosing a leader who faithfully continues in Ilia II’s footsteps — upholding faith, patriotism, societal unity, and independence from external meddling — may well prove the single most vital act the Georgian Orthodox Church undertakes in generations.
What makes this particularly dangerous, is not so much that such a holy man has died, as the Orthodox believe they have gained an intercessor in heaven, but rather that the replacement process may be corrupted by foreign influences, and those in power who would prefer a more malleable Church.
In this fragile hour of mourning and succession, vigilance is essential. The can of worms is already open; ignoring the wriggling threats from within could undermine the very spiritual and national fortress that Ilia II so steadfastly defended.
Seth Ferris, investigative journalist and political scientist, expert on Middle Eastern affairs
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