All the hearts of the Orthodox believers in Tirana were filled with the triumph of the Resurrection. The majesty of the passions of our Lord Jesus Christ and the glory of the Resurrection shined in all the parts of Metropolis of Tirana.
 
    In the capital city, all the services that were attended throughout the Holy Week by many believers, were held in the Church of “Annunciation of the Mother of God” and were lead by the Archbishop Anastasios.  Every day of the Holy Week he transmitted to all the believers the messages filled with life. “….Without the fruits of love, of patients, of forgiveness and without the willingly in spirit for listening God’s message, without this hope, our faith will be like a bare tree…” emphasized the Archbishop.
    His Beatitude also underlined that the Orthodox Church insists to be remembered the comparison of Judah with the sinner woman in order to experience the repentance, so that we may be closer to Christ.
    “…..Today are people that judge Jesus according to their concept. They do not accept the Divine reality like it is given in the Holy Scripture and in the Church. Many people are far away from Jesus Christ, but in a moment they come to the Lord and he accepts this love’s action.
    
    Let us not be worried when we act with our love. Every love has in it something from the everlasting life.… Christ is waiting for our love and he waits for us to go closer to Him with sincerity. We should try not to loss this opportunity. Let us live our hearts to express our love to God. If we want to serve God, we shall walk in His will. God gave his life in order for us to have a new life”.
    On Holy Friday, Archbishop underline in his talk, that it was a time in Albania when some people tried to destroy the faith for 23 years. But faith took place again in the spirits of people, that’s why we should thank God for this fact. After a terrible persecution like this, our church experienced a development, that’s why we should rejoice in this joy. 
    
    In the evening of that day, thousands of believers accompanied the procession of the Epitaph of our Lord – Jesus Christ, that took place on the Kavaja street, and the believers sang many wonderful orthodox hymns.
   In the evening of the Saturday the church and the entire place around it was filled with believers and inhabitants of the capital city, which with candles in their hands were waiting to take “Light form the light that never ends!” After the reading of the Easter message by the Archbishop, when the time was 00:00, the Resurrection hymn filled the hearts of the believers.
    The light of the feast was also celebrated with fire workers, and people started to knock the Easter eggs, but upon all they wished each other “Christ is Risen” and people were filled with real emotions of this great feast, the greatest of all the times.
   National and local media were interested in this big even as well. The Public Television transmitted the services of the Resurrection and the Divine Liturgy, mine while other Tv channels transmitted the message of the Archbishop and some moments from the services from different days of the Holy Week.
    On Sunday at the Archdiocese, in Tirana, the leaders of religious communities, politician and many other personalities, came and wished for the feast of Easter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    Among them was the President of the Republic, Mr. Alfred Moisiu, the Prime-Minister Mr. Sali Berisha, the leader of the Socialist Parti  and mayor of the capital city, Mr. Edi Rama, the leader of the Muslim Community Hafiz Selim Muca, the leader of Bektashi Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi, leaders of different parties, diplomats, academics and professors, and many believers, which wished the Archbishop Anastasios in the name of all the orthodox believers, appreciating his contribution and the contribution of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the development of the Albanian society.
 
 

 
Isidor Koti
Translated by: Ana Kercyku & Nathan Hoppe