00:03Georgian Orthodox Church leader Ilya II died on Tuesday at 93, the Church said, after nearly five decades at the
00:11helm of one of Georgia's most powerful institutions.
00:15Ilya II was hospitalized on Tuesday morning in critical condition with mass bleeding from the stomach, the hospital said.
00:23He was an epochal figure. It is a tremendous loss for the entire Orthodox Church, Shio Mujiri said, who will
00:30lead the Church until the election of a new patriarch.
00:34Ilya II led the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, when the Caucasus' country was part of the Soviet Union and
00:42religious practices were restricted.
00:45It makes him one of the world's longest-serving religious leaders. A new patriarch is said to be elected within
00:51two months.
00:59Georgian Orthodox Church
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