Dear Sir,
With deep contempt and indignation I refute and reject your two articles written about my person and published on March 8 and 16, 2016. You usually like to freely express your disdain and unjust insult towards Archbishop Anastasios, but this time you are trying to make use of certain people and circumstances in order to achieve your goal. With regard to the problem you arise in your article, I have already solved it within the Church and have not sought for help outside it, not even from you. In your article you use a harsh tone and insulting language to denigrate the reputation of Archbishop Anastasios, who has always put his heart and soul into the work for the restoration the Orthodox Church. I love and respect my Archbishop and this appreciation I inherited from my father, Kozma Qirjo, for whom you have recently expressed some kind of “admiration”, which I think is neither natural nor real.
Nobody can deny that my father was one of the most ardent supporters of Archbishop Anastasios since his arrival in the country, first as a Patriarchal Exarch and next as Archbishop of our Church. He was one of the hosts who welcomed Archbishop Anastasios on his arrival at the airport. Furthermore, no one can deny, not even you, the mutual support and cooperation which has existed between the two of them not only in the Theological Seminary but also in all sorts of activities organized by the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. It was the initiative of Archbishop Anastasios as well as the good-will and acceptance of my father that made possible for him to gain the episcopal rank and to further establish after severe persecution the first Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania in cooperation with other chief priests as members of the Synod.
Archbishop Anastasios followed the progress of my father’s health very closely till the last day of his life. He performed the funeral ceremony, did all honors pertaining to an Orthodox priest and always supported our family at difficult times. Since the day when my father passed away, Archbishop Anastasios has sustained my mother, who already lives in a house provided by Archbishop Anastasios and receives financial aid from the Church in order to live a life of dignity. I also live in an apartment that is owned by the church and purchased with the contribution of our beloved Archbishop.
So, is this my “persecution” and “crucifixion” that you talk about in your articles Mr. Lala? Life and work itself involve lots of problems which emerge during all the time both in our past and future too, but as I mentioned to you above, they are always resolved within the Church through wisdom and prayer. So, I kindly urge you not to repeat such slander again and I also pray to God to forgive all your follies.
Finally, let me tell you and assure you that my father and I have always supported Archbishop Anastasios and following my father’s steps, I am going to remain his supporter till the end of my life.
Fr. Ilia Qirjo
Vicar of the Church of St. Paraskevi
Skrofotina, Vlora. March 18, 2016
