In the framework of the activities organized by the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of its foundation, His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania was invited as an honorary lecturer. It was a thrilling and impressive return to the University where he had not only studied and graduated but also taught its auditors and had contributed for decades in the field of theological research.
In support to this, the Professor of Theology, Mr. Apostolos V. Nikolaidis in his introductory speech “Outstanding Personalities of the Faculty of Theology of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens” mentioned also Archbishop Anastasios as a prominent personality.
The event took place at the Ceremonies Grand Hall of the University. The ceremony was opened by the University Rector, Prof. Napoleon N. Maraveja, who welcomed the Archbishop. The honorary activity on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of university founding (the Theological Faculty was the first to be founded and served as the nucleus of the University’s development) was held on May 11, a significant day for the Orthodox Church and Byzantine Ieroapostolism since on this day Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of St. Cyril and St. Method, the two great and glorious hierarchs of the Slavic people.
His Beatitude Anastasios, a zealous ierapostle of modern times and an ecumenical example, delivered a symbolic and meaningful lecture “From the Theological Faculty of Athens to Decisive Apostolism: From Africa to Albania”. Not only was the University and the Theological Faculty honored, but also the idea of linking academic knowledge to practical spiritual activities was praised. And Archbishop Anastasios, as claimed by the world’s personalities, is a unique example of such a linkage.
