Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama delivered a heartfelt 20-minute eulogy in honor of the late Archbishop Anastasios, praising his character, contributions, and lasting impact on the Orthodox Church and Albanian society.
As Rama highlighted, Archbishop Anastasios arrived in Albania as a faithful successor to the Apostles, dedicating himself to restoring the Orthodox Church, both in its physical and spiritual dimensions.
“The personality of Archbishop Anastasios was admired, blessed, but also slandered; yet, he endured with stoicism, bearing the burden of disputes between our countries,” Rama acknowledged.
The Albanian Prime Minister emphasized that, after the borders opened and prejudices faded, no one could deny the authenticity of the Archbishop. Anastasios played a key role in fostering religious dialogue and cultural harmony. “He came as a bishop from Greece and departed as Anastasios of Albania,” Rama remarked.
“We bid farewell to him as Anastasios of Albania – it will be extremely difficult to find another personality so deeply identified with Albania in the annals of history,” he concluded.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas