The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania reported that Dendias was received by the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, His Beatitude, Bishop Joan, with whom he held a friendly conversation.

Afterwards, accompanied by Archbishop Joan, Dendias visited the tomb of the late Archbishop Anastasios to pay solemn tribute to his legacy.

The visit of the Minister of Defense of Greece to the Orthodox Cathedral Resurrection of Christ in Tirana is within the framework of Dendias’ official visit to Albania and meetings with Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Defense Ermal Nufi. /e.i/r.e/p.s./

On this day, His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Bishop Joani, led the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos Mary in Boboshtica, Korça.

In the Divine Liturgy led by His Beatitude, but also in the churches throughout the country, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church, there was added a call for prayer for the country facing a serious situation of fires: “We pray for swift end of wildfires with minimal consequences, for the souls of those who lost their lives, for the help of our brothers and sisters who are in danger and suffering because of them, as well as for those who selflessly fight to extinguish them, with supplication and solidarity, let us pray to God.”

This prayer was said today in all the numerous monasteries and churches that bear the name of the Dormition of the Theotokos Mary in all the dioceses of Albania.

On this holy day, Christian believers throughout the country have also been congratulated by the highest state authorities. /m.m/j.p/p.s./

“Albania’s Autocephalous Orthodox Church strongly condemns this act of violence and what is more it happened during Divine Liturgy”, is read in a statement of the Orthodox Church, published in the social media.

A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported.

Archbishop Joani expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and to all the Orthodox community of Syria.

“From Albania, a country that has shown the world that the peaceful co-existence between religions is not an unattainable dream or utopia, but a live reality, we call on all to stand up united against violence”, is read in the statement of the Albania’s Autocephalous Orthodox Church. /a.f//r.e/p.s./

There, Berisha was received by Archbishop Joan Pelushi.

“You do a great and precious work in continuation of the immortal work of Bishop Anastasios, who worked with extraordinary dedication and elevated the church from the ruins. The story of Christ has been repeated in Albania because here too they thought of abolishing religion and religious belief, but you rose from the ashes, and today you have an excellent performance and enjoy the broad support of believers, with all institutions”, said Berisha.

He emphasized that, in Albania, they also attempted to abolish pluralism, but they got and will get what they deserve.

“Today, pluralism is strong; it has passed great tests and I have great confidence that hope, optimism and the future will be what Albanians deserve and will have,” Berisha said. /a.f/p.s./

In a message addressed to the Orthodox believers, Bishop Joani said that, “Easter is commemoration of Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ and the fundamental truth of our faith and life. If there had been no Resurrection, then our Christian preaching and faith would have been in vain, because only through the Resurrection of the Lord, our human nature received its true significance and meaning”.

Archbishop Joan also commemorated Archbishop Anastasios, who died in January of the current year.

“This Easter we do not have our beloved Archbishop Anastasios among us. But our hearts are comforted knowing that he now intercedes for us before God, for God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. We believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life in God. If we hope in Christ alone in this life, we are the most miserable of all people,” said Archbishop Joan.

Archbishop Joan stated that, “the resurrection of Christ strengthens us and gives us all BELIEF, gives us life from His Life, a holy life, a life that conquers even death itself, a life without end, where the earthly power of death no longer has power.”

Archbishop Joan also pointed at the wars in the world.

“But, we are aware of the hardships of this life. In the world there are injustices and wars, poverty and suffering, illness and death, which can often lead a person to despair. Selfishness and greed have poisoned and deformed relationships between people, alienating and isolating them from each other. The departure from values, from love, justice, compassion and, especially, from the presence of God in our daily lives, creates a spiritual darkness, clouding the human mind and distorting the meaning of life”, emphasized Archbishop Joan.

Archbishop Joan stated that, “If the light of resurrection is lit in our lives, then interpersonal relationships will also be illuminated”.

“Perhaps today, more than ever, our world needs the Easter message because the Resurrection is not just a past event, but a continuous experience for every time, for every generation and for every person, which gives hope, light and joy to our lives and does not allow us to drown in the sea of ​​sorrow. No matter how difficult our problems may be, the Resurrection of Christ promises us a completely different future. /k.s/a.f/p.s./

Archbishop Joani said that in 1992 he contacted Archbishop Anastasios and returned to Albania, after his stay in the USA.

He praised Archbishop Anastasios as another shining figure in the history of the church.

“He managed to rebuild the church from scratch because he had great patience and love for the Church and the people. You cannot stay for three decades or more in a country, often facing opposition, if you do not have a great love for the Church and the people. In the course of 32 years I worked with him, I have seen that he loved the country and the people. Often in Greece, there were complaints that he was more Albanian than necessary”, Bishop Joani said.

Prime Minister Rama recalled the conversation with Archbishop Joani years ago in Korça when he asked him about Archbishop Anastasios, at a time when there were general reservations about him outside the walls of the church in the country.

“But, you said: He is an Albanian like all the other Albanians that we have in the Orthodox Church, and if they were all as Albanian as he was, it would be much better,” Rama said.

The prime minister also recalled Archbishop Anastasios’s last interview with the Greek media, which he described as the best solution on everything that was suspected and said about him.

“My successor can only be Albanian and we went there to rebuild the Autocephalous Church of Albania; we did not go there to establish a colony. That interview was extraordinary”, said Rama.

The prime minister also recalled the conversation after the funeral of Archbishop Anastasios with the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“I owed a speech to this man, a servant of the Albanian church, who made us feel small. While Mitsotakis said: He knows better than all of us and he had absolute authority”, Rama recounted the conversation with his Greek counterpart.

Archbishop Joani emphasized that a patriot is a person who flourishes his country in the office he has and Archbishop Anastasios tried to build a solid local church.

“Not only in words, but in deeds. Autocephaly is financial independence and he did his best so that when he was not living, the Church would not go bankrupt, that it would be able to support itself. The construction of the two hydroelectric power plants gave the Church breathing space. If we were financially dependent, you cannot be completely free. This effort to make the church independent even when it was not shows his desire to build a solid local church and not only rebuild it, but also ensure the church to continue,” he said. /a.f/p.s./

Albania’s Orthodox Church on Saturday held an inauguration ceremony for its new Archbishop Joan, who succeeded Archbishop Anastasios following his death in January.

The ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ in downtown Tirana, formally launching Joan’s leadership as the archbishop of Tirana, Durres and all of Albania and also head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.

Attending the ceremony were senior representatives of the Albanian and Greek states, as well as delegations from 13 Orthodox Churches around the world. Present at the ceremony were Head of State Bajram Begaj, Minister of Defense of Greece Nikos Dendias, Minister of Education and Religion and Ambassador of Greece in Tirana Kostandina Kamici.

In front of the Albanian and international clergy and Orthodox believers, the President of the Republic congratulated His Beatitude Joan calling this day historic for the Autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church and for the entire Albanian society.

“May you be a leader who builds bridges, who encourages coexistence, who strengthens faith, who spreads love, peace, hope and justice among people! May God be with you at every step of this noble journey!” – said President of the Republic.

President Begaj described the inauguration of Archbishop Joan as a new chapter in the spiritual life of the country that begins with hope, faith and responsibility, while at the same time expressing gratitude to the previous Archbishop Anastasios for his service with wisdom and dedication.

President of the Republic also emphasized the significance of the church, not only as a religious institution, but also as a guide and protector of spiritual, cultural and national values.

President Begaj invited all citizens to build a more just, humble, united, and fraternal society, while guaranteeing the state’s support in everything that serves the benefit of citizens, that strengthens harmony and coexistence between faiths, that strengthens understanding and the values ​​that unite us. /p.s./

The Holy Synod announced via a social media post that the election process will take place at the Synodal Centre after the Divine Liturgy and the process will strictly follow the statutes of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.

The successor will replace the late Archbishop Anastasios, who passed away at 95 on January 25 after being hospitalized at Athens’ Evangelismos hospital.

His temporary successor, or “Overseer of the Archbishopric Throne”, was appointed Metropolitan of Korça, Joan.

/j.p/u.sh/

In a message on the social media, the government head underlined that the late Archbishop Anastasious had put an end to all the hypotheses with his last will, saying his successor should be an Albanian.

Responding to a citizen’s comment on the social media, who wrote that “Archbishop Yannoulatos has kidnapped the Albanian Orthodox Church and it is time to elect an Albanian Archbishop,” Rama said that the late Archbishop, in an interview for the Greek media shortly before his passing, had declared that his successor should be Albanian.

“In his public testament for the Greek media shortly before his death, Archbishop Anastasios has silenced everyone, leaving no room for anyone to speculate over the role, the figure, and the historic track record by stating that his successor should be an Albanian,” PM Rama said.

/a.f/r.e/u.sh/

In a post on the social media, the government head said that today was a “day of mourning at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, where the final farewell was bidden to the Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.”

PM Rama delivered a speech in tribute to the late Archbishop Anastasios and his contribution to Albania over decades.

The Premier highlighted the Archbishop’s role in uniting the Orthodox community and fostering closer ties between Albania and Greece.

“As the hierarch of a historically significant social community, with great influence in the national mosaic of Albania, the person of Archbishop Anastasios and his work at the helm of the Church and its flock have been scrutinized, admired, blessed, criticized, and even anathematized,” Rama said.

“This alone testifies to the stoicism of the shepherd a quality increasingly rare in an era and a world where more and more people waver with the wind, and fewer and fewer allow the “Holy Spirit to blow where it wills” (John III, 8),” he added.

The government head underlined that presence of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the delegation accompanying him conveyed the profound message of indivisibility in life and in mourning between our two nations.

“I am certain that my friend, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who honors us today with his presence and that of his esteemed delegation, entirely shares this opinion and by being present here today the prime minister not only pays tribute to the epochal figure of the Archbishop but also honors the Autocephalous Church of Albania and the state in which it now breathes freely, sending a profound message of indivisibility in life and in mourning between our two nations and peoples,” Rama stated.

1 of 20

/r.e/a.f/u.sh/