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...

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...

His Beatitude Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, the current primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, celebrates Friday his 27th enthronement anniversary. His Beatitude Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, was born on November 4, 1929, in Piraeus, Greece. Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) Professor of History of Religions (1972-92) and Dean of the Theological Faculty of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1983-86). B.D. and Th.D. (wi...

“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...

According to an announcement from Evangelismos Hospital in Athens, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania is being discharged and sent home today, after 12 days of hospitalization. The Archbishop will remain in quarantine at home following his discharge, reports Romfea. His Beatitude, 91, was hospitalized on November 11 after testing positive for COVID-19. After his first day in the ICU, he issued a hopeful statement, saying: “Throughout our lives we refer to the God of surprises but ...

In a letter delivered on December 24th 2017, His Excellency Mr. Ilir Meta, President of the Republic of Albania, offered his heartfelt congratulations to His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania who was granted Albanian citizenship by presidential decree no. 10700/22.12.2017. The letter was handed to the archbishop at the Synodical Center of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania by Ambassador Mr. Arben Cici, director of the Albanian president’s cabinet. In ...

His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania has tested positive for the coronavirus and is being transported to Athens for treatment. The Archbishop underwent relevant testing at a medical center in Tirana, and although his symptoms are mild, the doctors advised him to seek treatment in a specialized clinic in Greece, given his advanced age and chronic health problems, reports Romfea. The Archbishop is 91. He underwent an emergency angioplasty in late June. With the approval of Greek Prim...

The worldwide religious community recognizes the role of the Archbishop Anastasios of the Albanian Orthodox Church in guaranteeing international peace, Romfea News reports. Archbishop Anastasios is a pioneer in the peaceful coexistence of religious communities in Albania, thereby contributing to social cohesion. He was recently re-elected honorary president of the Religions for Peace International, which held its 10th Assembly, at Lindau, Germany. Weiterlesen auf basilica.ro (9. September 2019)

The right to vote is more than simply a right, but an obligation of responsible citizens, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania preached on April 18. Referring to the general Parliamentary elections to be held on Sunday, April 25, the Archbishop reminded his flock of the Church’s guiding principles for involvement in the political life of the country. “We have emphasized since the first year that our Church does not deal with political parties, nor does it interfere in the political ...

Glaube und Spiritualität in den Beziehungen zwischen Christen und Muslimen sind Thema der fünften Begegnung der Landesdelegierten der Bischofskonferenzen Europas für die Beziehungen mit den Muslimen, die von 7. bis 9. Februar 2018 in Shkodra (Albanien) stattfindet. Eingeladen hat der Erzbischof von Shkodra-Pult, Angelo Massafra, wie der koordinierende Rat der Europäischen Bischofskonferenzen (CCEE) mitteilte. Ziel sei es, den Islam nicht nur als ein Kompendium von Verhaltensnormen zu sehen, s...

Despite the financial crisis, the Albanian Orthodox Church spares no expense in restoring its churches that have been in ruins since the persecution of the faith under the communist government last century. According to a report from the Albanian Church, 63 churches and monasteries were fully restored between 1991 and 2019, in addition to the dozens of new churches that were constructed, not always under easy conditions, and at a price tag of $10.8 million (10 million euros), according to a r...

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...

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...

Für sein Engagement für Frieden und Verständigung ist Erzbischof Anastasios (Yannoulatos) von Albanien mit dem Klaus Hemmerle-Preis ausgezeichnet worden. In seiner Dankesrede bei der Verleihung des Preises am 14. Februar im Dom von Aachen plädierte er für eine „friedvolle Koexistenz in einer multi-religiösen Welt“. Der Bischof von Aachen, Dr. Helmut Dieser, lobte Anastasios als einen „Wegbereiter des Glaubens und der Ökumene“.

Albania’s old Orthodox churches, forgotten and abandoned for many decades because of the religious persecution by the atheist state, are being restored by both the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Institute of Cultural Monuments in Albania. The interest of Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, in this direction is continuous, substantial and effective. Although restoration work is difficult in many cases, experts point out that the restoration of the temples is still possib...

The current primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church celebrates on 19 November 2017 his 45th episcopal consecration anniversary. His Beatitude Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, was born on November 4, 1929, in Piraeus, Greece. Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) Professor of History of Religions (1972-92) and Dean of the Theological Faculty of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1983-86). B.D. and Th.D. (with highest honours) and today is Professor...

On 19 April, the Inter-religious Council of Albania conducted a meeting between religious leaders, to discuss, among other things, the issue of the return of religious property by the Albanian State, Romfea News reports. The meeting was attended by Archbishop Anastasios of the Orthodox Church of Albania, who is also the president of the Council, the Head of the Muslim Community of Albania Bujar Spahi, the Primate of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops George Frendo, the world leader (Kryeg...

Die Islam-Beauftragten der europäischen Bischofskonferenzen haben sich für einen vertieften Kontakt mit den muslimischen Glaubensgemeinschaften in Europa insbesondere auf spiritueller Ebene ausgesprochen. Bei ihrer fünften Begegnung in der nordalbanischen Stadt Shkodra vom 7. bis 9. Februar 2018 stand das Thema „Glaube und Spiritualität in den Beziehungen mit den Muslimen in Europa“ im Mittelpunkt.

Die Orthodoxe Kirche von Albanien erkennt die neu gegründete Orthodoxe Kirche der Ukraine (OKU) nicht an. Auf ihrer Website veröffentlichte sie den Beschluss des Hl. Synods vom 4. Januar 2019, der dem Ökumenischen Patriarchen am 14. Januar brieflich zugestellt wurde. In dem Beschluss zieht die Kirchenleitung insbesondere die Gültigkeit der Weihen der Bischöfe und Priester der OKU in Zweifel. Dies gelte ausdrücklich auch für deren Oberhaupt, Metropolit Epifanij (Dumenko).

Nach dem schweren Erdbeben vom 26. November in Albanien leisten lokale Kirchen und Religionsgemeinschaften den Betroffenen Hilfe. So versucht die Caritas Albanien mit Unterstützung der italienischen Caritas materielle Hilfe für die Betroffenen bereitzustellen und eine erste Schätzung der Schäden in der betroffenen Region durchzuführen. Laut Antonio Leuci, dem Direktor der albanischen Caritas, sind besonders die Städte Durrës und Thumane betroffen, aber auch in einer ganzen Reihe kleinerer Stä...