THE ORTHODOX AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH OF ALBANIA
PRESS RELEASE
The Consecration of the new “Resurrection of Christ” Cathedral in Tirana
On Sunday, June 1st, 2014 the new “Resurrection of Christ” Cathedral in Tirana will be consecrated by His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, together with Their Beatitudes, the Patriarchs Theophilos of Jerusalem, Irenej of Serbia, Daniel of Romania, the Archbishops Chrysostom of Cyprus, Ieronymos of Athens, Savas of Warsaw, as well as the Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana. They will celebrate together with the representative Metropolitans of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Moscow, Bulgaria and Georgia.
As is well-known, during the long totalitarian persecution of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania (1967-1990) the atheist regime destroyed a great number of holy churches and monasteries or turned them into store-houses, blacksmith foundries, military barracks, and entertainment places. In 1965, they tore down the old Cathedral Church in the central square of Tirana and built a 15 story hotel.
The new complex of the “Resurrection of Christ” Cathedral in the center of Tirana, with its “Nativity of Christ” chapel, bell tower, and Synodical Center, is the symbol of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania’s reconstruction from its foundations in all fields from 1991 until present-day.
On Sunday evening, there will be a Festival of the Orthodox Youth in the modern Cultural Center located beneath the Cathedral.
The President of the Republic, Mr. Bujar Nishani; the Chairman of the Parliament, Mr. Ilir Meta; the Prime Minister, Mr. Edi Rama; and the Mayor of Tirana (also head of the opposition party), Mr. Lulzim Basha will all be present at these festive activities. They will also hold official receptions for the Orthodox Primates on Monday morning, June 2nd.
This consecration is a special blessing not only for the Orthodox Christians of Albania, but indeed for the whole country. Furthermore it is a very important witness of Orthodoxy in the world at large.
Tirana, May 27th 2014
