Patriarch Kirill makes first visit of Russian primate to Albania (+ VIDEOS)

Tirana, Albania, April 30, 2018

Photo: orthodoxalbania.org Photo: orthodoxalbania.org
    

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began his brotherly 3-day visit to Albania on Saturday, where he was greeted at Mother Theresa Airport in the capital city of Tirana by His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania and members of the Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church, the Russian ambassador to Albania, and other officials, reports the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is the first such visit in history by a primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness and His Beatitude have known one another and maintained contact for decades. Pat. Kirill visited Albania in 2003 before he occupied the patriarchal throne.

Pat. Kirill is accompanied by Department for External Church Relations head His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), Administrative Secretariat head His Eminence Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorosk, and a number of priests.

From the airport, the delegation traveled directly to the Resurrection Cathedral in Tirana, where Pat. Kirill served a moleben, with thousands of faithful uniting in prayer. Following the service, the primates formally greeted one another.

Abp. Anastasios recalled that the two had served together in Moscow in December for the celebration of the centenary of St. Tikhon’s enthronement as the patriarch of Russia and noted his admiration for the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia who suffered greatly under Communism. “As a young man, I observed with excitement and deep admiration the heroism that the Orthodox clergy and laity showed during the ruthless atheistic persecutions in the Soviet Union.”

He also noted that Albania suffered for decades under such atheistic persecution, while highlighting that the Church there has been experiencing resurrection since 1991. In turn, Pat. Kirill also reflected upon the great suffering that the Russian and Albanian endured in the 20th century, noting Abp. Anastasios’ important role in reviving the Albanian Church.

Later that day, the Russian delegation met with Abp. Anastasios and the members of the Albanian Holy Synod, discussing cooperation between the Russian and Albanian Orthodox Churches, in particular in the educational, scientific and theological fields, as well as a wide range of issues related to the situation of Orthodoxy in the world and inter-Orthodox cooperation.

The next day, the Russian and Albanian primates concelebrated the Resurrection Liturgy in the same Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, along with other members of the Albanian Holy Synod, and members of the Russian delegation. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country filled the church. The service was celebrated in Albanian, Greek, and Slavonic.

Following the Divine Liturgy Pat. Kirill presented Abp. Anastasios with two episcopal panagias and a Paschal egg painted by Russian iconographers. In turn, Abp. Anastasios presented Pat. Kirill with an icon of the Ascension, painted by an Albanian iconographer, based on the mosaic from the Resurrection Cathedral.

A reception was held later in the day on behalf of the Albanian Holy Synod in honor of Pat. Kirill. Then both primates took part in the presentation of the new Russian translation of Abp. Anastasios’ study on various Orthodox missionaries, Even to the Ends of the Earth. In the evening, Albanian President Ilir Meta hosted a reception for His Holiness Pat. Kirill and the Russian delegation.

Both primates met with the Albanian president today, where President Meta thanked Pat. Kirill for his role in ensuring religious harmony in the world. His Holiness also had a meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in which the issue of religious extremism was discussed.

Pat. Kirill also visited the Theological Academy of the Resurrection, which was the first such institution that Abp. Anastasios began to revive in the 1990s and which today is active in the training of clergy for the Albanian Church and also houses a school and shelter for orphans. The Russian primate presented the school with a copy of the Orthodox Encyclopedia which is printed in Russia, as well as an icon of St. Seraphim, reports RIA-Novosti.

The two primates also planted two cypress trees at the academy in memory of Pat. Kirill’s visit.

His Holiness thanked the people and the Church of Albania for the warm welcome: “I am leaving this country, taking with me the warmest memories of the Albanian Church, its vitality. I hope that bilateral relations between our sister Churches will also develop.”

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5/1/2018

Comments
Anthony 5/2/2018 9:48 pm
I note with not a little surprise that Anastastios' watch is still on his wrist. I recall the Albanian's nicking warcriminal bush's watch when he went to pay homage to them some time back.
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