Scandal in Georgia: The Georgian Church and the government call for an end to speculation regarding the costs of Patriarch Ilia II’s funeral

A public debate has erupted in Georgia over the financial costs of the funeral for the late Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, which took place in March of this year. According to the Orthodoxia News Agency ( ), representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church and the country’s leadership have taken a united stance, calling for an end to the spread of unfounded accusations and rumors about alleged corruption in the use of public funds.

The head of the Patriarchate’s public relations office, Archpriest Andrei Dzhagmaidze, officially commented on the situation, emphasizing that the majority of the allocated budgets had in fact not been spent. According to him, many organizations and individuals provided services free of charge, a fact confirmed during a conversation with former Minister of Culture Tina Rukhadze, who oversaw the process.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also refuted speculation about embezzlement during an appearance on the “Rustavi 2” television channel. The prime minister noted that of the funds allocated by government decree (totaling approximately 5.5 million lari, of which 3 million were directed to the Ministry of Culture), only about 722,000 lari had been spent. The head of government emphasized that if the goal had been corruption, the organizers could easily have embezzled the entire amount of allocated funds; however, the actual figures prove otherwise. The government has promised to present a detailed financial report to the public in the near future to definitively close this matter.