On January 1, the Orthodox Church in Albania celebrated with great solemnity the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ and the commemoration of St Basil the Great. The day also marked the 70th birthday of Archbishop Ioannis of Albania, who was born in January 1955.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tirana, presided over by Archbishop Ioannis, together with Metropolitan Astios of Berat and clergy of the Archdiocese. In his homily, Archbishop Ioannis described St Basil as a timeless episcopal model, not only for his pastoral ministry but also for his profound social contribution, which he stressed is essential to Christian life. He noted that material wealth cannot satisfy the human soul and that without spiritual nourishment, human life withers, even amid prosperity.
Addressing different groups of the faithful, he encouraged children to allow the Gospel to take deep root in their hearts, urged young people to be careful in their choices, reminded the wealthy that nothing ultimately belongs to them, called families to preserve love and peace, and exhorted the elderly to prepare spiritually for their encounter with God.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Archimandrite Fr. Ignatius Tondri, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, conveyed the wishes of the clergy and faithful to Archbishop Ioannis on the occasion of his birthday, highlighting the primacy of caring for souls in episcopal ministry. The celebrations continued with the blessing and cutting of the traditional Vasilopita at the Archdiocesan Spiritual Centre.
Throughout Albania, Orthodox faithful marked the feast with liturgical services and Vasilopita ceremonies in parishes and dioceses, emphasizing that St Basil’s greatness lay in offering all the gifts he received from God in service to others.
By Fr. Ilias Makos / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
