Following a long season of fasting and prayer, thousands of believers filled Tirana’s Annunciation Church every day during Holy Week, to express their deep devotion to God. Not only were there a great number of people, but this year the people displayed a new level of understanding in how to celebrate the Paschal services. Every day had its own special beauty as His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios lead the services, together with the auxiliary bishops and clergy members. He continually encouraged the faithful with his explanations of the special services and his spiritual advice.On Holy Saturday the thousands of faithful exchanged the joyful greeting “Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!” (Albanian: Krishti u Ngjall! Vertet u Ngjall!) on the main street, Rruga e Kavajes where, as usual, a stage was set up for the outside portion of the service. Here His Beatitude also read his Paschal message which inspired hope with the theme: “Nevertheless [i.e.: in spite of all hardships], Christ is Risen”. In this message His Beatitude affirmed that “The Resurrection of Christ proclaimed that the truth is more powerful than falsehood; good is stronger than evil; love is more powerful than hate; and life is stronger than death”. Following the reading of the Paschal message, fireworks lit up the sky as the thousands of people who filled the square and road outside the church wished one another a happy feast-day, cracked their red eggs together, and received the “unwaning Light” to take to every corner of the capital city. Meanwhile, hundreds of faithful continued the celebration by participating in the Divine Liturgy and partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of the Resurrected Christ through communion.
On Pascha Sunday, April 4th, His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania held a reception at the Holy Metropoli of Tirana. The many visitors included: representatives from other religious communities, President Bamir Topi; leader of the Parliament, Ms. Topalli; head of the Socialist Party and Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Rama; politicians, diplomats, intellectuals, and numerous faithful Orthodox.President Topi wished Archbishop Anastasios and all Orthodox Faithful a good Pascha. He said, “First of all, I want to sincerely congratulate all Christians for this great day; for this day of resurrection in all the meanings of the word, a return to faith, a return to optimism, a return to dialogue, a return to life! I believe that it is a day that motivates us all to give this message. It isn’t a coincidence that many religious holidays are celebrated within a short period in the springtime, which tells us that spring brings with it as well faith in communication, in what is considered human; faith that turns us towards good deeds, which we all need as a society.”
Isidor Koti & Thoma Dhima
Translated by Georgia Bendo
Photo Roland Tasho
