The Albanian Orthodox Church is shocked and disappointed by the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s choice for bishop for its Albanian Diocese of America. Late last month, it was reported that Archimandrite Theophan (Koja), a native Albanian, formerly a priest of the Orthodox Church in America’s Romanian Episcopate, was elected by the Constantinople Holy Synod to replace Metropolitan Ilia (Katre), reposed in the Lord in October. However, according to the Albanian Church, Fr. Theophan is a “divis...

As it has done several times over the past few years, the Albanian Orthodox Church is again urgently calling for a pan-Orthodox council to address issues of Church unity. In its statement issued on 11 March, the Holy Synod specifically mentions the ecclesiastical tragedies in Africa and Ukraine. The statement came out just a day after it became known that the Ukrainian state intends to completely expel the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Kiev Caves Lavra by the end of the month. Recall tha...

The American online publishing platform Medium analysed the demographic decline in Albania’s Orthodox community. Albania is renowned for its religious variety, which includes a sizeable community of Orthodox Christians. By the beginning of the 20th century, 70% of Albanians were  Muslim, 20% Orthodox, and 10% Catholic. Yet, the 2011 census found that Albania’s Orthodox population had decreased to 6.75 per cent, a considerable drop from the 20 per cent reported in the 1927 census. Despite...

Der Hl. Synod der Albanischen Orthodoxen Kirche (AOK) hat die Entscheidung des Ökumenischen Patriarchats, die eucharistische Gemeinschaft mit der Makedonischen Orthodoxen Kirche–Erzbistum Ohrid (MOK–EO) aufzunehmen, begrüßt und sich ihr angeschlossen. Im Kommuniqué zur Sitzung vom 23. Februar 2023 heißt es weiter, die AOK anerkenne „Ohrid“ als den Namen der MOK–EO. Das bedeute, dass die Jurisdiktion der MOK–EO auf das Gebiet des Staats Nordmakedonien beschränkt sei. Damit stellt sich die AOK...

„Christ-Sein in den Gesellschaften Zentraleuropas“ – unter diesem Thema stand ein Treffen der Generalsekretäre von sechs katholischen Bischofskonferenzen in Mitteleuropa, das am 3. und 4. Oktober in Shkodra in Albanien stattgefunden hat. Eingeladen hatte zum bislang sechsten Treffen dieser Art der Generalsekretär der Albanischen Bischofskonferenz und Bischof von Rrëshen, Gjergj Meta. Eröffnet wurde die Begegnung von Erzbischof Angelo Massafra. Er leitet die Erzdiözese Shkodra-Pult und steht s...

The Albanian Orthodox Church celebrated a major milestone yesterday, 30 years from the enthronement of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios as the primate of the then-newly revived Church. The anniversary was celebrated with the Divine Liturgy at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana, with hierarchs, clergy, and faithful from throughout the country, reports the Albanian Church. In June, the Local Albanian Church also celebrated the anniversary of the Archbishop’s election to the prima...

“On June 24, 1992, His Beatitude Anastasios was elected Archbishop of our Church after the atheist darkness,” writes the press service of the Albanian Orthodox Church. The 30th anniversary of the Archbishop’s election was festively celebrated on Friday in the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Tirana. His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with His Grace Bishop Asti of Byllis and the clergy of the Archdiocese. Following the service, Bp. Asti thanked the Archbishop fo...

The Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, the highest theological institution of the Albanian Church, celebrated its 30th anniversary on February 7. The school is located in Durrës, a port city on the Adriatic Sea in western Albania. “Today we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, to see the changes that have taken place during this time, to show what God has done over the years at the Resurrection of Christ Seminary and Theological Academy, w...

Papst Franziskus hat den früheren Bootsflüchtling Arjan Dodaj (44) zum neuen Erzbischof von Tirana-Durres ernannt. Der bisherige Weihbischof in der albanischen Hauptstadt-Erzdiözese folgt auf Erzbischof George Anthony Frendo (75), dessen altersbedingter Amtsverzicht am 30. November angenommen wurde. Der neu ernannte Erzbischof Dodaj war als Jugendlicher Anfang der 1990er Jahre im Boot über das Mittelmeer aus Albanien geflohen. In Italien arbeitete er als Schweißer und Gärtner, bevor er Studie...