Patriarch Ilia II 'Most trusted man in Georgia' - by CNN

Tbilisi, Georgia (CNN) -- At the end of a Sunday church that lasts more then three hours, the frail spiritual leader of Georgia's Orthodox Christians emerges through the doors of Holy Trinity Cathedral's ornate wall of icons, and steps towards the waiting congregation.

The crowd surges forward. Hundreds of men, women and adolescents, reach for Patriarch Ilia II. Guided by bodyguards, the bearded cleric works his way through the sea of arms, touching and blessing his admirers' hands as he slowly walks out the cathedral to an armored limousine. Teenagers chase after the vehicle, as the patriarch drives away.

Mariam Turbanidze and her seven-year old son Nikolos stood watching the car disappear, oblivious to the pouring rain. Her family traveled hours from the Black Sea port city of Batumi to attend Sunday's service.

"The patriarch is Nikolos' godfather," Turbanidze explained. She proudly held up a framed church document as proof.

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• Georgian
• Patriarch
• Ilia
• II