On 5 December 2017, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All
Russia met with His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All
Albania at the Patriarchal residence located in St. Daniel’s stavropegic
monastery.
The delegation, which accompanies him on his visit to Moscow to
attend festivities held on the occasion of the centenary of the
restoration of the Office of Patriarch in the Russian Orthodox Church,
includes Metropolitan Metropolitan Joan of Korca, Metropolitan Nathaniel
of Amantia, and Deacon Spyridon of Topanxha.
Taking part in the meeting on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church
were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow
Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Bishop
Flavian of Cherepovets and Belozersk; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR
deputy chairman; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for
inter-Orthodox relations; and hierodeacon Grigory (Sokolov), a DECR
staff member.
Primates of the Albanian and Russian Orthodox Churches said prayer in
the domestic church dedicated to all saints of the Russian Church.
Addressing the high guest, His Holiness reminded him of his last
visit to the capital of Russia in November 2016 to attend celebration of
the 70th birthday of the Primate of the Russian Church. “I
am deeply moved with your response to my invitation to take part in the
festivities dedicated to the centenary of the restoration of the
Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church,” Patriarch Kirill said.
He noted that the restoration of the Patriarchate was a most
important decision taken by the All-Russian Church Council in 1917: “The
election of Patriarch, the first after the two-hundred-year rupture,
has consolidated our Church. St. Tikhon inspired people to the feat of
confession by his own example. It is difficult to say what could have
happened with our Church if the Council had not take place.”
His Holiness expressed his joy over the presence of Archbishop
Anastasios at the final session of Bishops’ Council that took place on
November 29-December 2 and his address.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church highly appreciated the
role played by His Beatitude Anastasios in the bringing back to life of
the Albanian Orthodox Church, which was totally destroyed during the
time of atheistic dictatorship. “We see the Albanian Church as a
confessor church. The persecution against religion in Albania were
barbarous and total as nowhere in the world, but the Albanian Church has
come alive thus bringing witness to the power of God.
“We understand the events in Albania in the 20th century
only too well, as the Russian Orthodox Church had experiences
tribulations, and we are happy to see the success of the Albanian
Orthodox Church and beseech God to bless our labours. “
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed grave concern
over the recent harassment of Orthodox Christians in Albania: “There
were announcements of making monasteries and churches archeological
monuments with fee for entrance. We consider it a pressure upon the
Orthodox Church, condemn withdrawal of ecclesiastical holy objects and
valuables from Orthodox churches and believe that international human
rights organizations should pay close attention to this problem.
“When our churches were closed and holy objects were taken away from
them, many people did not believe in the rebirth of the Orthodox Church,
but we are here now. Therefore I greet You and your delegation with a
special feeling. May the Lord keep you and grant you spiritual and
bodily strength, many years of creative life and the joy to see results
of your apostolic labours.”
His Beatitude Anastasios expressed profound gratitude to the Russian
Orthodox Church on behalf of the Albanian Church and said that during
his first visit to Russia in 1976 he could not dream that the Lord would
grant him an opportunity to be here on this radiant day.
During the talk of the Primates His Holiness Kirill raised the issue
of student exchange, saying that theology was accepted as an academic
discipline. “Besides dozens of theological schools there function many
theological chairs and departments at the secular institutions of higher
education, so thousands of young people study theology and many
well-known outstanding scholars teach them. I would like to add that we
are willing to receive students from the Albanian Church if You consider
it helpful,” he said.
Patriarch Kirill highly appreciated the work of His Beatitude in the
field of theology, saying that his name is well known in the Russian
Church also thanks to his academic publications. “We would like to
publish your last book in Russian in our country,” he added.
Discussed at the talk were inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations and the situation of Orthodoxy in Ukraine.