TBILISI — Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II died late Tuesday after being hospitalized in critical condition with internal bleeding. He was 93 years old.

Ilia II led the Georgian Orthodox Church for nearly five decades, taking the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church in 1977. Georgia was part of the Soviet Union in 1977, and religious practices were restricted at that time. Georgia regained independence from the Soviet Union.

Shio Mujiri temporarily took over the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church pending the election of a new patriarch. A new patriarch is to be elected within two months.

"He was an epochal figure; it is a tremendous loss for the entire Orthodox Church," said Shio Mujiri, interim leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church.