Three Years from the Consecration of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana
June 1, 2014 – June 1, 2017
June 1, 2017 marked the third anniversary of the consecration of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana; an event which carried multiple meanings and is always current.
First, on this day we recall the time when the orthodox spiritual “eye” was violently pulled out by the atheist regime and was finally returned to the center of the capital of the country.
Secondly, this day marks the final affirmation of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania in the bosom of the universal Orthodox Churches, as equal among equals. This was witnessed, without leaving room for any equivocal remarks, by the participation in the Divine Liturgy of all the other Orthodox Churches. The services were led by the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness Bartholomew and Their Beatitudes, Theophilos, the Patriarch of Jerusalem; Iriniei Of Serbia; Daniel of Romania; Chrysostom, Archbishop of Cyprus; Jeronimos of Athens, Anastasios Archbishop of Tirana, Durresi and All Albania and Sava Archbishop of Warsaw. They were joined also by Metropolitans and representatives of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Moscow, Bulgaria and Georgia. During the ceremony, the Ecumenical Patriarch affirmed that: “We are gathered here today to celebrate a great and historic event such as the consecration of the Holy Church of Resurrection, which also confirms the resurrection of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Albania … To those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, the resurrection seems like a myth. But, through the life of the Saints, we gain the experience of Resurrection, which is both a reality and a biomatic experience to us. In this sense, the consecration of this splendid Cathedral of Resurrection today is a proof that Resurrection is a reality and that the Orthodox Church of Albania, which was once dead because of the atheistic persecution, is already alive, full of life and creativity “.
Thirdly, this event is the living evidence of tremendous achievements made on the part of the Orthodox Church of Albania during these years of wonderful and unprecedented resurrection from the ruins and all this is due to the extraordinary work of Archbishop Anastasios.
Fourthly, the Cathedral Complex is a magnificent architectural and artistic work. Special reference can be made to the grandiose mosaic, the frescos of the Nativity of Christ Paraklisis and the great showroom, which has become a choice among several opportunities for conducting artistic activities and not only in the capital city. Also the Complex has become one of the “mandatory touristic sites” for tourists to visit in Tirana.
In remembrance of such a significant day, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral. The Liturgy was conducted by Archbishop Anastasios and other members of the Holy Synod of our Church, His Eminence Ignat, Metropolitan of Berat, His Eminence Joan, Metropolitan of Korça, His Eminence Dhimitri, Metropolitan of Gjirokastra, His Eminence Nikolla, Metropolitan of Apollonia and Fier, His Eminence Nathanail, Metropolitan of Amantia, and Bishop Asti of Bylis. More than forty clergymen from the Archiepiscopate and the Metropolises concelebrated the Divine Liturgy. The sermon was delivered by Father Luke Veronis from the United States, who had served in our Church for many years in the past. Finally, addressing the participants about this historic day, Archbishop Anastasius recalled that three years ago during the consecration ceremony, there were present many representatives from all the Orthodox Churches and eight of the primates. He also emphasized that “When we started this effort we could not have imagined the abundance of gifts and charity that our Lord would grant us in the years to come. Our heart is filled with gratitude about all these. The fact that we are here together today, all the clergy of our Church united, and the laity too, is a sign of the living Church of Albania. So let us express our gratitude not only through our feelings since they do not last long, but also through unifying our lives with the will of God. “
As Archbishop Anastasios emphasized in his speech in the church, all the clergy of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, coming from the Archiepiscopate and the five Metropolises attended this celebration. After the Divine Liturgy, they gathered in the great hall of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral to attend a Conference about the role and the duties of the Orthodox clergyman. In the conference Archbishop Anastasios focused on the close relationship that the clergy should maintain with the books and the spiritual readings. During the Conference, there were discussions about specific issues and two short documentaries were presented which featured aspects of the construction of the Cathedral and the re-establishment of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
