With great solemnity, the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Korçë, Anastasios, took place today at 11:00 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Korçë.
The service was celebrated in the presence of Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, members of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, representatives of local authorities, numerous clergy from across the region, and a large congregation that filled the cathedral.
Anastasios was unanimously elected Metropolitan of Korçë by the Holy Synod on September 16, 2025, under the presidency of Archbishop Ioannis. Until his election, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Krujë and, since December 3, as Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese of Tirana and Durrës.
In his enthronement address, Metropolitan Anastasios expressed profound gratitude to God for being entrusted with the pastoral responsibility of the historic Metropolis of Korçë. “Today I stand before God and before you with a sense of indescribable gratitude and thanksgiving,” he said, emphasizing that “every enthronement is never a simple human act, but an event of the Church—a new stone placed in the living temple of the Body of Christ.”
He spoke at length about the spiritual heritage of Korçë, which he called a “city of light and culture,” noting: “I am not here to begin from the start, but to continue a story with deep roots. I am here to write a new chapter in the long book of faith and love that this Metropolis has written through the centuries.”
With visible emotion, he expressed thanks to the late Archbishop Anastasios, the “great renewer of the Church of Albania,” and to Archbishop Ioannis for carrying forward his work.
Addressing the faithful of the Metropolis, Metropolitan Anastasios pledged: “I assure you that I have not come among you to be served, but to serve. I have not come as a stranger, but as a brother.” He highlighted the importance of unity and cooperation, urging clergy and laity alike to join “in a new spirit of ministry” and to build “bridges, not walls.”
Archbishop Ioannis, in turn, praised the gifts and service of the new Metropolitan, recalling his significant role since 2017 in managing the Church of Albania’s property and financial activities. He also commended his broad ministry as Executive Director of the LOGOS University Foundation and his participation in various ecclesiastical institutions.
Metropolitan of Korçë, Anastasios (Mamai), was born in Vlorë in 1979. He studied in the Department of Greek Language at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens, earned a master’s degree in Business Administration, and a degree in Social Theological Studies from LOGOS University College. He was ordained deacon in 2018 and priest in 2019 by the late Archbishop Anastasios.
Conscious of contemporary challenges such as materialism and relativism, the new Metropolitan pledged to remain close to every faithful, with special attention to young people. “The Church must be like a spiritual hospital where all find healing, like a home where all find warmth, and like a school where all learn the truth,” he affirmed.
The enthronement of Metropolitan Anastasios marks the beginning of a new era for the historic Metropolis of Korçë, with the hope of continuing the work of spiritual renewal and strengthening the bonds of love and unity between clergy and laity.
