The patriarch who waited 25 years

Publikuar më: 26-12-2017, AFP Albania Newspaper

Since the time of the Trojan war, there’s an expression that Albanians have been often using during the century old state: “Beware of the Greek’s gift”. This notion has been rooted so much in the mind that 25 years needed to go by in order for Albania to grant Albanian citizenship to Yannulatos, although during all this time he has been Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church and has gone by the name Anastasio. So, 25 years, or two and a half Trojan wars, lasting 10 years each.

In the state protocol, in different activities and ceremonial receptions, the lack of Albanian passport could not, nonetheless, prevent the head of one of the most important religious communities in the country to be part of them. Therefore, Archbishop Anastasios has always been present and a contributor. However, during all these years, he has not been an Albanian citizens, although throughout this period, there have been many foreign nationals who have obtained Albanian citizenship. These foreigners have included people such as the Italian football coach, De Biasi or researchers of Albanian folklore. There have been many like them from Islamic countries and our state authorities have been tolerant toward everyone who has wanted to register a religious foundation, who distributed aids for remote and poor areas. But, after the 11 September attacks in the US, suspicions were raised for some of them. So big was this tolerance that even if Bin Laden had requested Albanian citizenship, he would have been granted it through a fast tracked procedure.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop, who did not have a passport and who was so much criticized by the media, continued his work to build the Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Today, we can say that this institution has an added value in an Albania which still has many problems, legacy of the ruins that the communist system left behind. Building the church seemed mission impossible because of the skepticism that existed about the fact that a Greek patriarch was appointed as head of this church. However, His Beatitude knew how to set an example and through his daily dedication, he managed to provide the Orthodox Church with contemporary standards. His personality and the fame that he had, made him welcome everywhere abroad, enabling him to secure funds for the Orthodox Church. The church became an institution based on rules and canons. All monumental, historical or new churches were made functional. However, this is only one aspect, because in the context of Albanian society, where there are three main communities and others arriving, it has managed to offer a great contribution for religious harmony. And in an environment such as Albania, which has come out of a communism atheism, without stable religious institutions and where there have been many foreign influences in an attempt to destroy this religious harmony, this contribution receives added value for every Albanian.

The time when the patriarch of the church did not have the citizenship of the communion that he leads, has come to an end and along with it, the numerous insulting comments addressed against the second biggest religious community in the country. All these years, his grace pardoned and prayed for this stupidity. The community also ignored it and did not fall victim of any provocations, while the figure of the Archbishop rose in the eyes of everyone. We must all accept this value, as he is a contributor in strengthening the structure of this state, where religion has its part. And this value doesn’t stem from the fact that he has now the Albanian citizenship.