TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, who revived the country’s Orthodox Church after the fall of the Communist regime in 1990, the church said Saturday. He was 95 years old.
Died in the intensive care unit of the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens due to “polyorgan deficiency” Died in the intensive care unit of the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens due to “polyorgan deficiency” He was admitted to a hospital in Tirana on December 30 with a viral infection but was transferred to Athens a few days later as his condition worsened. He underwent surgery on January 10 to deal with stomach bleeding and was in critical condition since then, the hospital said.
“His Grace, Archbishop Anastasios, was the rebuilder and reviver of the Albanian Orthodox Church, which was literally raised from the ruins after the end of the atheist regime,” the church said in a statement. “He rebuilt the life of the Church from the ground up, built hundreds of churches, established educational and charitable institutions, and formed a new generation of priests, leading to more than 33 years of unending and Sacrificial service provided.”
Albanian President Bajram Begaj said Albania had lost its “spiritual leader and a distinguished figure”.
“His legacy of grace will live on in the hearts of those who respect and love him,” Begaj said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Anastasios’ “contribution to Orthodox Christianity was invaluable.”
“He left an indelible mark not only in (Albania),” Mitsotakis posted on social media.
Born Anastasios Yanoulatos in Greece in 1929, he arrived in Albania in 1991, shortly after the fall of the communist regime. The latter, who had ruled the country since the mid-1940s, to restore the country’s autocratic Orthodox Church.
The Communist regime banned all religious practices and confiscated property belonging to established Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic and other religions.
According to the 2023 census, Orthodox believers in Albania make up about 7 percent of the 2.4 million population, although the church says the actual number is higher. The small Western Balkan country is about half Muslim, followed by Catholics, Orthodox and other religious communities and independents, all living in harmony.
After the fall of the communist regime in December 1990, religion was allowed again, but believers lacked places of worship such as mosques and churches, most of which had been confiscated by the previous government. Property returns have not yet been completed, with religious communities continuing to claim areas and buildings.
Anastasius was instrumental in reviving the Orthodox Church in Albania and was elected its head in 1992. He also focused prominently on interfaith dialogue and promoting church support in health care, education and social development in the country.
More than 400 parishes were reorganized in post-communist Albania. About 150 new churches were built, while 60 churches, monasteries and cultural monuments were restored and 160 churches and 70 ecclesiastical buildings were reconstructed.
The archbishop educated and ordained 168 priests and also established youth centers in various cities. He oversaw the translation into Albanian as well as the publication of liturgical and other religious books.
The church also built three hydropower projects, and the proceeds from these support its spiritual, philanthropic, and educational efforts.
Anastasios was born on November 4, 1929 in Paris, Greece. He received his Bachelor of Divinity and Doctor of Theology from the University of Athens and also studied at the Universities of Hamburg and Marburg in Germany.
He was praised for his academic work, serving as a professor and dean at the University of Athens, and for his leadership roles in international religious organizations, including the World Council of Churches.
He authored and published 24 books of religious research, missionary essays, orthodox spirituality and more than 200 studies and articles on religious and theological topics, which were translated into 17 languages.
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Dimitris Niels contributed to this report from Athens, Greece.
