Ilia II of Georgia

Ilia II (born Irakli Gudushauri-Shiolashvili; 4 January 1933 – 17 March 2026) was Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia from 25 December 1977 until his death in 2026. He was the longest serving patriarch in the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Born in modern-day Vladikavkaz, Russia, to a Georgian Orthodox family, he studied at the Moscow Theological Academy from 1956 to 1960. During that time he became a monk and was also ordained to the priesthood. Ilia served as bishop of Batumi and Shemokmedi from 1963 to 1967 and as bishop of Sukhumi and Abkhazia from 1967 to 1977. He also led the church's external relations department from 1964 to 1977. In that position, he worked to secure the recognition of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church by other Eastern Orthodox churches. He was elected the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia in 1977.

During his patriarchate, Ilia II led the growth and restoration of the Church in Georgia, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Georgian Orthodox Church had a central role in cultural development during the early post-Soviet years. He expanded the church hierarchy and encouraged parish life, as well as opening new churches. He advocated for social conservatism and for constitutional monarchy in Georgia. Ilia II also obtained the recognition of the Church's autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1990, and worked to improve diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia in the wake of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.