Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
Peace Visit of His Holiness, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Kirill,
to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania
April 28-30, 2018
From April 28th to 30th, the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania will host His Beatitude and Holiness, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Kirill. This first historical peace visit is of remarkable importance, as both Churches have experienced a harsh communist-atheist persecution.
On Saturday, April 28th, 2018, at 4:00 PM, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, accompanied by the members of the Holy Synod, will receive Patriarch Kirill at Mother Teresa International Airport. The visit will continue with the celebration of the Great Service of the Doxology at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana.
On Sunday, April 29th, 2018, in the morning, the two Primates of the Churches will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana, with the participation of clergy from both Churches.
Later, the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania will host an official luncheon at the MAK Albania Hotel.
In the evening, at 6:00 PM, there will be a concert at the Cultural Center of the Cathedral Complex. This event will be commenced by the presentation of the Russian language publication of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios’ book To the Ends of the Earth. In the Divine Liturgy and at the concert, the Synodal Choir of the Moscow Patriarchate will sing.
On Sunday night, the President of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Ilir Meta, will host a dinner at the Presidential Palace (Palace of Brigades).
On Monday, April 30, 2018, Patriarch Kirill will have official meetings, at the Presidential Office, with the President of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Ilir Meta; as well as at the Office of the Prime Minister, with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Edi Rama. To conclude, He will visit the Monastery of St. Blaise (St. Vlasios) in Durres and the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy. This distinguished delegation will depart at 2:00 PM from Mother Teresa International Airport.
His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, Anastasios, officially visited the Orthodox Church of Russia in 1999. In Moscow in 2006, at an official ceremony at the Cultural Center of the Christ the Savior Cathedral, Archbishop Anastasios was honored with the award for “Outstanding Activities in Strengthening Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations.”
Tirana, April 25, 2018
