The Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland has made a statement concering the passing Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania, who passed away on January 25, 2025, at the age of 95, during hospitalization at Evangelismos Hospital in Athens.
The statement reads: “Born in Piraeus in 1929, Archbishop Anastasios (Anastasios Yannoulatos) was a towering figure in the Orthodox Christian world. He graduated with honors from the Faculty of Theology at the University of Athens in 1951 and later served as a missionary in Africa, revitalizing Orthodox communities in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. He focused on translating liturgical texts into African languages, constructing schools, hospitals, and churches, and fostering theological education.”
The statement adds: “In 1991, he was appointed Exarch of Albania by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to rebuild the Albanian Orthodox Church, which had been devastated during decades of state-imposed atheism. Under his leadership, the Church was revitalized with the construction of hundreds of churches, the establishment of theological institutions, and the strengthening of social services. His efforts earned him global recognition as a missionary, theologian, and humanitarian.”
“His legacy includes the translation of liturgical texts into Albanian, the establishment of youth centers, and the construction of a new Orthodox cathedral in Tirana,” the statement stresses.
The Church of Poland highlighted the three visits made by Archbishop Anastasios of Albania to the Polish Orthodox Church, the most recent being in 2022. During that visit, he was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor by the Christian Theological Academy of Warsaw.
The official statement concluded with the heartfelt words: “Eternal memory to you, blessed Archbishop!”
