Today, Tuesday, January 28, at 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Greek time), Tirana is expected to receive with honors the body of the late Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, Anastasios. The reception will take place at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, where the body will lie in repose for the faithful to pay their respects.
Earlier, with tears of emotion and flowers, many people welcomed the body of the late Archbishop of Albania at the border station of Kakavia.
The body will lie in repose at the Cathedral throughout the night of Tuesday and throughout Wednesday, giving the opportunity to the faithful to pay tjeir respects to the enlightened Hierarch who revived the Albanian Orthodox Church. The Funeral Service is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 11 am local time (12 pm Greek time), after the Divine Liturgy.
Believers and leaders bid farewell to the late Archbishop
The reception in Tirana is expected to gather a crowd of believers from all over Albania, who will travel to say goodbye to the “Archbishop of the Renaissance”. With deep spirituality and dedication, the late Archbishop was an example of love, unity and solidarity, winning the appreciation and respect not only of the Orthodox, but also of society in general.
The ceremony will be honored by Primates of Orthodox Churches, such as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop George of Cyprus, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece. Also, according to information from orthodoxtimes.com, Metropolitan Nifon of Târgoviște will be present on behalf of the Patriarchate of Romania. Finally, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, as well as his representative in Athens, Metropolitan Georgios of Guinea, will be present.
At the same time, the funeral service will be honored with the presence of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Albania, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Edi Rama, in recognition of the spiritual and social work of the late Archbishop.
Five-Day mourning declared in the Church of Albania
The Orthodox Church of Albania has declared mourning from January 25 to 29, while Metropolitan Ioannis of Korçë has been elected Locum Tenens of the Archdiocesan Throne.
The late Archbishop Anastasios leaves behind a rich legacy of spirituality and social contribution, earning a place in the hearts of the faithful and in the pantheon of the great leaders of Orthodoxy.
