ATHENS (Reuters) -Archbishop Anastasios, head of the Orthodox Church of Albania, died at a hospital in Athens at the age of 95 on Saturday, the church announced.
Anastasios played a key role in reviving the church in Albania, an independent branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, after being elected to lead it in 1992 following the fall of the communist regime which had ruled the Muslim-majority country for decades.
Anastasios was admitted to a hospital in Tirana with flu in early December but his condition deteriorated and he was airlifted to Athens to be treated at Evangelismos Hospital.
“His Beatitude fell asleep in the Lord today… at Evangelismos Hospital in Athens, due to multiple organ failure,” the Orthodox Church of Albania said in a press release.
Citizens lit candles in front of the Orthodox Cathedral in Tirana to mourn their loss while the bells rang continuously.
“He gave a lot to Albania especially for us as a nation where religion was denied to us for 50 years. Ιt was difficult to start convincing people that they have to believe again somewhere,” Iva Ademi, 65, told Reuters.
Greek lawmakers observed a minute’s silence in the neighboring’s country parliament at a start of a session on Saturday morning.
A vocal supporter of dialogue among different religions, Anastasios had previously served as a missionary in several countries in Africa and was well known for his charitable work to help the poor and outcast in Albania.
The President of Albania and the Greek Prime Minister expressed their condolences.
“Albania today mourns the loss of his beatitude, the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania,” said president Bajram Begaj in a press release.
“(His) dedication, and love for the people, contributed to its strengthening and paving a new path for the Albanian Orthodox faith, especially following a challenging period”, Begaj added.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, Florion Goga and Lefteris Papadimas; editing by Jason Neely and Toby Chopra)
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