The Interreligious Council of Albania visited the Archbishop of Albania

The Board of Directors of the Interreligious Council of Albania — of which the Orthodox Church of the country is a member — visited His Beatitude Archbishop Ioannis of Albania and congratulated him on his election.

The President of the Council for 2025 (the presidency rotates annually among the religious leaders), Roman Catholic Bishop Monsignor Gjergj Meta, along with the Head of the Muslim Community of Albania, Bujar Spahiu, the World Leader of the Bektashi Community, Edmond Brahimaj, the President of the Evangelical Brotherhood of Albania, Ergest Biti, the Secretary General of the Council and President of Religions for Peace Europe, Genti Kruja, as well as the Council’s legal and financial advisor, Seldiana Jano, all extended their warm congratulations to Archbishop Ioannis on his election.

Interreligious coexistence in Albania—whose visionary, inspirer, and pioneer was the late Archbishop Anastasios—is a living testimony that fanaticism does not lead to light but darkness. It stands as proof that religions can cooperate on social issues without compromising their doctrinal principles, with love for one’s fellow human beings as their fundamental cornerstone.

Thanks to this collaboration, Albania has managed to avoid social unrest and has ensured conditions of peaceful coexistence within a multi-religious environment.

This model of cooperation, regarded as exemplary, is recognized and praised not only within Albania but also internationally for its positive results.

The true respect for religious freedom and for the dignity of every human person was the unwavering guiding principle of Archbishop Anastasios.

His successor, Archbishop Ioannis, aspires that the peaceful voices and actions of religions may continue to serve as vital channels of cooperation, to be used productively for the benefit of the people.

Religious conscience, in all its diverse expressions, has the potential to contribute in various ways to the development of peaceful tendencies and, more broadly, to the cultivation of mutual understanding.

It is the deep conviction of Archbishop Ioannis — as it was of the unforgettable Archbishop Anastasios — that addressing social problems begins from within, from the very depths of our being.

It is intrinsically linked to humility, forgiveness, and liberation from hatred, bitterness, and jealousy — and it blossoms through constant communion with God.

Written by Fr. Elias Makos