Foto nga: Mano Kritsotaki
 
     The 5th day, November 4th 2009
 
    The city of Korça, known for its Orthodox traditions, awoke on Wednesday morning to the sound of the bells of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral, notifying the believers of the concelebration of the two Primates in a Divine Liturgy as part of the official visit of peace of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, His Beatitude Theodoros II.
 
    This day also carried with it a special joy for all the believers of Albania, as it coincided with the 80th birthday of Archbishop Anastasios, for whom many gifts and surprises had been prepared.
 
    The Cathedral was filled with believers for the Divine Liturgy. Also in attendence were the Mayor, Mr. Niko Peleshi, the Prefect, Mr. Koço Bello, the leader of the district, Mr. Ilia Milo, diplomatic representatives, and people of others religions etc.
 
    At the end of the Liturgy, the Metropolitan of Korça welcomed the two Primates and emphasized that the visit of the Patriarch was historical and will remain memorable in the history of his city. Then the Metropolitan shared with the participants the decision of the city council which, as a sign of gratitude, had named the street linking Telecom with the Holy See building after Archbishop Anastasios on the occasion of his birthday.
 
    The Patriarch during his speech, after expressing his gratitude to the Metropolitan and the people of Korça for their Abrahamian hospitality, emphasized: “Yesterday Korça received us with cold rain. Today it receives us with the sun shining brightly. Even the sky reveals the exultation of the angels precisely on the birthday of Archbishop Anastasios… I thank the local authorities for their decision, since the street bearing your name will eternally remain a symbol of gratitude for your work. The God of surprises, as you of often reiterated, decided that I would be here today to celebrate your birthday, not only as your student and your spiritual son, but also as the Primate of the Church of Alexandria.”
 
    The Patriarch of Alexandria, in the presence of the bishops accompanying him, declared Archbishop Anastasios to be a “Great Benefactor of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa,” a decision that brought applause from the people who were present. The Patriarch presented Archbishop Anastasios with a small statue that depicted Anastasios, the missionary, in the midst of African children; and bearing the inscription in three African dialects: “The local Church of Kenya is grateful to the Great Father, Archbishop Anastasios”.
 
    In his speech, Archbishop Anastasios thanked the Patriarch for his wishes. “I am very moved because in the last 24 hours I have faced many surprises, that in a beautiful and noble manner, your love had prepared. I thank you, Your Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa for your visit because your presence among us gives us love, support and strength. The things that you have said touched me deeply because Africa is my love.”
 
    Later on, the Archbishop expressed his joy that he was celebrating his birthday in the city of Korça, because the citizens of Korça have always supported him, especially in difficult moments. Then Archbishop Anastasios emphasized a hidden dangers; “While celebrating before the altar, I told myself to be careful of too much praise. It can bring about a spiritual intoxication that moves one away from the love of Christ. May your prayers and your wishes be, not for many years, but for the time in which I live as God wants, in purity and humility… In the world there is no better proposition than the Christian life. That is why I accepted to serve in Albania, a place that had been deprived of the Orthodox faith.”
 
    During the luncheon organized by the Metropolitan of Korça in honour of the two Primates, personalities from the areas of Arts and Letters spoke, together with university professors and representatives of local government.  They thanked the Patriarch for his visit and offered best wishes to Archbishop Anastasios for his birthday, presenting him with various symbolic gifts. The Patriarch had reserved another surprise for the Archbishop: the performance of a folk song from Crete which was about an eagle, symbolizing the strong figure of Archbishop Anastasios; who, even though in difficult conditions, managed to fly high, like an eagle. During this official lunch the African Metropolitans, His Eminence Jeronymos and His Eminence Jonah told the stories of their lives; how Archbishop Anastasios, by his preaching and his example had changed their lives preparing them properly and ecclesiastically for the lofty duties of a bishop.
 
    The artists and the youth of the city of Korça organized a great festive concert for the occasion of the visit of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. The concert took place on Wednesday afternoon; the many spectators gathered in the theater had come to honour the visitors from the African continent. At the end of the concert, Metropolitan John thanked once more the two Primates for their presence on this significant day and emphasized that their visit had added to the brightness and beauty to the city. He gave two symbolic gifts, a painting of the Cathedral of the city to the Patriarch and a portrait to Archbishop Anastasios.
 
    Patriarch Theodoros thanked the artists of Korça for the beautiful event that they had prepared and extended his best wishes, from the bottom of his heart, to Archbishop Anastasios for his birthday. He considered it the will of Divine Providence that he, together with his delegation was present on this day of joy for the Church of Albania. Archbishop Anastasios also thanked the citizens of Korça for all their gifts and surprises that they had prepared and added that he felt a special joy that he was in Korça, because he was as if he were in his own home, amidst spiritual brothers and sons.
 
    Thus, with this activity the official visit of peace of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II ended. The Patriarch and his official delegation successfully completed his five-day visit to the Church of Albania. He had had an opportunity to witness the tremendous progress and development of the Church of Albania, which under the inspired leadership of Archbishop Anastasios has risen from the ashes and known its great historical peak, after the fatal blows given to it by totalitarianism for 23 consecutive years. The Patriarch expressed his amazement about every development and achievement of the Church that he witnessed during his historical visit to Albania emphasizing, whenever he was given the opportunity: “We have been experiencing a miracle, every day of our visit. We have witnessed closely the resurrection of the Church of Albania and the spiritual rebirth of Albanians. Our father and teacher, Archbishop Anastasios, continues to teach us, not only through his words and his missionary vision, but also through his great work; the success of which guarantees that this powerful missionary and great Arch-shepherd has brought to the Church he leads, the miracle-working Grace of God and has won through the personality he reflects, the hearts of all his spiritual coworkers and sons.”
 
    With these high impressions and frank consideration, with thankfulness which had been expressed every day of this official visit, with exultation and the enlightenment of the resurrection, this first official visit of peace of the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa was completed. It constitutes a historical, ecclesiastical event because it was the first time in the history of the Church of Albania for a delegation of this stature of the Alexandrian Church to visit Albania.
 
    On Thursday, November 5th 2009, the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, together with his delegation, departed from our country. At the airport, the esteemed visitors of the Church of Africa were bid farewell by Archbishop Anastasios and the members of the Holy Synod of the Church of Albania, as well as the ambassadors of Egypt and Greece. Before departing, Patriarch Theodoros declared, “I am taking with me to give to my sons in Africa, the paschal brightness of the Church of Albania, the Resurrectional light of Anastasios …”
 
Alex Çuri
 
Translated by Joan Baba
 
Edited by Anastasia Pamela Barksdale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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