Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II has issued a letter of condolence following the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.

“To His Eminence,
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re,
Dean of the College of Cardinals

Your Eminence,

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope of Rome Francis. Please accept our heartfelt condolences and convey our sorrow and sympathy to the hierarchs, clergy and congregation of your Church, to all for whom his memory is dear.

We would also like to note that we are very grateful to Pope Francis, because in Rome, in the church he entrusted to us, the Holy Liturgy in the Georgian language has been celebrated since 2014; and further, after his official visit to Georgia, as a sign of his respect for our country and our Church, he invited the Choir of the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church to the Sistine Chapel and presented the unique Georgian culture - the polyphonic Church hymns and folk songs to the whole world.

It is a generally acknowledged fact that Pope Francis was endowed with many talents, distinguished with his humility, a facilitator of many social projects and an active supporter of peace in the world…

We express our deep respect for him and we are praying for his immortal soul”, - reads the condolence