Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the Orthodox Church in Albania, dies at 95

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the nation’s Orthodox Church after the autumn of the communist regime in 1990, has died, the church mentioned on Saturday. He was 95.

Anastasios, the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania and head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, died within the intensive care unit of a hospital in Athens as a consequence of “polyorgan deficiency,” the church mentioned. He had been hospitalized in Tirana on Dec. 30 with a viral an infection however was transferred to Athens a couple of days later after his situation deteriorated.

“His Grace, Archbishop Anastasios, was the rebuilder and revitalizer of the Albanian Orthodox Church, which was actually raised from the ruins after the autumn of the atheist regime,” the church mentioned in a press release. “He rebuilt church life from the bottom up, constructed tons of of church buildings, established instructional and charitable establishments, and shaped a brand new technology of clergy, offering endless and sacrificial service for greater than 33 years.”

Albanian President Bajram Begaj mentioned that Albania had misplaced its “non secular chief and a distinguished character.”

“His Grace’s legacy will stay alive within the hearts of these honoring and loving him,” Begaj mentioned.

Born Anastasios Yannoulatos in Greece in 1929, he arrived in Albania in 1991, instantly after the autumn of the communist regime that had dominated the nation because the mid-Nineteen Forties, to resuscitate the nation’s Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

The Communist authorities had banned all non secular practices and expropriated the property of the established Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic and different religions.

In accordance with the 2023 census, Orthodox believers in Albania make up about 7% of the two.4 million inhabitants, though the church says the precise quantity is increased. The tiny Western Balkan nation is about half Muslim, adopted by the Catholics, Orthodox and different non secular communities and nonbelievers, who all reside in concord.

Following the autumn of the communist regime in December 1990, faith was once more allowed, however believers lacked locations of worship akin to mosques and church buildings, lots of which had been confiscated by the previous regime. The property return is just not but full, with non secular communities persevering with to assert areas and buildings.

Anastasios was instrumental in revitalizing the Orthodox Church in Albania and was elected to its head in 1992. He was additionally considerably targeted on interfaith dialogue and selling church help to well being care, training and social improvement within the nation.

Greater than 400 parishes had been reorganized in post-communist Albania. Some 150 new church buildings had been constructed, whereas 60 church buildings, monasteries and cultural monuments had been restored and 160 church buildings and 70 ecclesiastical buildings reconstructed.

The archbishop educated and ordained 168 clergy and in addition established youth facilities in varied cities. He additionally oversaw the interpretation into Albanian in addition to the publication of liturgical and different non secular books.

The church additionally constructed three hydropower tasks, and the revenues from these contribute to its non secular, philanthropic and academic efforts.

Anastasios was born Nov. 4, 1929, in Piraeus, Greece. He obtained his Bachelor of Divinity and Physician of Theology from the College of Athens and in addition studied on the universities of Hamburg and Marburg in Germany.

He was lauded for his educational work, having served as a professor and dean on the College of Athens, and for his management roles in worldwide non secular organizations, together with the World Council of Church buildings.

He authored and revealed 24 books of non secular analysis, missionary essays, Orthodox spirituality and greater than 200 research and articles of theological and non secular themes that had been translated into 17 languages.

___

Comply with Llazar Semini at https://x.com/lsemini