On the occasion of Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania’s name day, Monsignor Ionuţ Paul Strejac, Chargé d’Affaires, conveyed a letter of congratulations and prayerful wishes on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
The Pope’s message, dated September 19, 2025, reads:
“His Beatitude Ioannis, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania,
On the day when the Churches of the East celebrate the liturgical memorial of the repose of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, your heavenly Patron, I willingly offer prayers for Your Beatitude, that Almighty God may bless you and those entrusted to your care with abundant spiritual gifts.
It is likewise my hope that Your Beatitude and all in the Church of Albania, by imitating the Apostle John, will always keep your gaze fixed on Jesus Christ and on the fullness of life and love that awaits us at His return in glory, as we continue to move forward, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, on the path towards reconciliation and the full restoration of communion between our Churches.
With cordial good wishes, I exchange with Your Beatitude a fraternal embrace of peace in the Lord.”
The letter concluded with assurances of esteem and respect:
“I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Beatitude the assurances of my highest consideration.”
Jant haul She
Mons. Ionuţ Paul Strejac
Chargé d’Affaires a.i.
