Albanian leader meets Pope

According to confidential sources, the Pope expressed His support in Albania’s bid to join the European Union, but warned Berisha that there is no European Union for Albania without redressing the concerns of both the Catholic Church and the Catholic population.

by Pjerin Lumaj

Pope Benedict XVI met with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. The meeting lasted for 15-minutes with the Pontiff www.catholicculture.org.

The meeting took place 543 years later on the dated (December 1466),when Pope Paul II met in Vatican with Gjergj Kastriot, the great Albanian warrior who lead the Albanian uprisings in defense of Christianity against Ottoman Empire.

Albania's strong tradition of religious tolerance is widely recognized. However, it should be remembered that historically this was not always the case, when some leaders endeavored to intensify regional and sectarian differences. Today, Albania is still vulnerable from such influences.

In recent months, many Catholic organizations and human rights groups have petitioned foreign embassies and institutions concerning the discrimination of the Catholic community by the Berisha government. According to Mr. Brisha’s spokesperson, Alida Tota, the Pope summoned Mr. Berisha to the Vatican, but denied to elaborates as to why.

However, it is alleged the Pope is concerned about the treatments of Albanian Catholics by the government of Albania and the recent incidents involving attacks on Catholic symbols and institutions by extremists, both Albania and foreign .

On December 9, 2009, a cross was blown up with explosive in the village of Kok-Tapaj, in the Malesi e Madhe District. (En/News24/BalkanWeb) The same cross was attacked three years ago and a Moroccan national was then arrested as a suspect of this attack only to be released two days later and leave Albania in a mysterious way. Two years ago, another cross in the municipality of Bushat, Shkoder District, was destroyed by explosive. No one was ever arrested (www.kohajone.com). And, in 2006, another cross was destroyed in the village of Fikas, Elbasan (www.dardania.net). Also, in 2006, the Islamic Community of Shkoder refused the public placement of statue of Mather Theresa, an ethnic Albania, in the city of Shkoder, infuriating both the Catholic Church and the majority of the residents of Shkoder who happen to be of the Catholic faith (US Department of State 2006, Interreligious Freedom Report-Albania). And most recently, Sali Berisha insulted the Catholic community when he formed the new government without any Catholics being a member of it, making Albania the only country in Europe not to have any Catholics in such positions.

According to confidential sources, the Pope expressed His support in Albania’s bid to join the European Union, but warned Berisha that there is no European Union for Albania without redressing the concerns of both the Catholic Church and the Catholic population.

A spokesman for the Christian Democratic Party of Albania, a party which supports the Catholic causes in Albania, stated that “ Under Sali Berisha, the Catholic people of Albania feel very alienated and unsafe. They see Berisha as someone who is allowing Albania to come under the influence of the foreign Islamic leaders and missioners, who do not have Albania’s religious tolerance in their hart. Their aim is to destroy such tolerance and attempt to insult our national figures, such as Mather Theresa, and our Christian culture. We cannot join the EU while Berisha keeps these non-Albanian Islamic elements in Albania. They should be asked to leave for the sake of our future, of Albania’s future.”

Catholics in Albania are a minority, about 20% of the population, situated mainly in Northern Albania. They were severely persecuted by the Islamic communist dictator, Enver Hoxha, the predecessor and mentor of Sali Berisha.

http://www.examiner.com/x-23467-Albania-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m11d19-Albanian-government-endorses-discrimination-of-nonMuslims