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Church Responds To Emergency Needs In Midst Of
Crisis
During the past six months of national
crisis in Albania, when much of the country faced total anarchy and chaos,
the Orthodox Autocephalous Church tried to minister to the physical needs of
the suffering people, regardless of religion or race. In addition to
emergency relief, the Church continued its overall objective of
strengthening the local communities by sharing the good news of hope, peace
and salvation which our Lord Jesus Christ offers.
Recently, the most
concrete sign of the Orthodox Church's outreach has been in its emergency
relief effort. From the beginning of the crisis which engulfed Albania in
March, the Church responded immediately to distributing bulk food
commodities and medicines to hospitals, orphanages, elderly homes and other
state institutions, as well as to needy and desperate families. Under the
leadership of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania,
the Church's relief program was the first of any national or international
agency to be implemented, when Fr. Syridon Simandiris began overseeing
distribution of large quantities of food throughout the country on March 18.
Over the past six months, at least 545 metric tons of bulk food commodities
and medicines have been disbursed by the Orthodox Church. More than 320 tons
of this aid has been donated by countless churches and believers in Greece.
One example of the generosity given to Albania was the Archdiocese of
Athens, where 143 parishes gathered 126 tons of aid for distribution to the
most needy people of Albania.
The existing chaotic situation made deliveries
very difficult, especially down south. Still, Fr. Simandiris oversaw
distribution of aid to more than 60 villages and cities.
Along with aid
coming from Greece, the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) of
North America, in conjunction with the Action of Churches Together (ACT)
Network of the World Council of Churches, offered another 225 tons of food
parcels to the Orthodox Church. Diaconia Agapes, the social and development
office of the Church, completed delivery of this aid directly into the hands
of 15,164 vulnerable families in ten different regions throughout the
country.
Working with dozens of local implementing partners at 52
distribution points, the DA/IOCC staff traveled more than 17,000 km (10,000
miles) over a three month period. Five tons of food parcels were delivered
daily to poor families regardless of their religion. In addition, medicines
were delivered to the St. Luke health Clinic in Tirana.
Due to the ongoing
security risk throughout Albania, the Church worked closely with the
multinational military force which provided escort and full protection
during distribution. The DA/IOCC program was successfully completed on July
19.
DANGER IN VLORE
One example of the danger in delivering relief aid in
the midst of crisis occurred in Vlore. One hundred and thirty Italian
soldiers accompanied the Diaconia Agapes workers during their delivery. The
program had been organized to deliver 360 food parcels (equivalent to five
tons) at the Orthodox Church of St. Theodore. Word had spread that aid was
being distributed to the poorest families. More than 1000 local citizens
showed up. The restless crowd started to panic. Pushing, shoving and then
fighting broke out within the crowd. Some people from nearby apartment
buildings began shooting machine guns in the air.
The military force quickly
took control of the situation by sending soldiers atop the apartment
buildings. Quickly the shooting stopped. Still, the unsettled crowd panicked
when they realized all would not receive food. Some threw stones at the
workers, and the supervisor of the project was hit on the head with a stone.
The military force helped the staff safely finish their distribution and
depart without further mishap. The DA office, however, was asked not to come
back to Vlore with more distributions because of threats made to the local
priest, Fr. Ilia.
Prices have increased more than 17% in one month for
staple foods, while inflation has greatly decreased the value of the
Albanian currency. In January 1997, the dollar was exchanged for
approximately 105 lek. By July, the dollar was changing for 179 lek (and
even reached 190 one day). Food exists in the country, but people are having
great difficulty affording it.
“Resurrection of Christ” Theological Seminary
Reopens
After having interrupted the school year due to the State of
Emergency which engulfed the entire country in March 1997, the “Resurrection
of Christ” Theological Seminary re-opened its doors on August 4 in order to
finish out the 1996-97 scholastic year.
Classes will continue and an exam
period will ensue during August and September. The third year class of 21
students is expected to graduate by September 26. Two students from the
third year have already been ordained to the diaconate: Jorgaq Gjata on
August 10 in the Cathedral of Tirana, and Vasil Skordileva on the Feast of
the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, August 15, in the newly built monastery
Church of St. Vlash, Durres. The majority of other students will soon be
ordained to serve in their local villages and cities.
New students for the
upcoming scholastic year will be interviewed at the end of September. The
official school year of 1997-98 will begin on October 13 with a Divine
Liturgy at the Church of St. Vlash, Durres.
Seminary Graduate Becomes Monk
On the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, August 6,
1997, Archbishop Anastasios tonsured Dimitri Prifti as a monk with the new
name Kozma. Fr. Kozma became the first graduate of the Resurrection of
Christ Theo-logical Seminary in St. Vlash, Durres to become a monk. He
graduated from seminary in May 1996, and has been living as a novice at the
Nativity of the Virgin Mary Monastery in Ardenica for the past 15 months.
On
the following day, all the students of the seminary went on an excursion to
the Ardenica monastery to attend the ordination of the monk Kozma to the
holy diaconate.
Deacon Kozma became the second indigenous monk of the Church
in Albania. The first monk tonsured, ordained to the diaconate and later to
the priesthood was Archimandrite Joan Pelushi.
Presently living at the
Monastery of Ardenica are five other graduates of the seminary who hope to
be tonsured monks.
Publication Ministry Continues to Reach Out
Since the
reopening of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania in 1991, a
priority of Archbishop Anastasios has been the establishment of a
Publication Office which would disseminate liturgical, catechetical,
theological, spiritual and historical material, along with general Church
news.
A printing press was acquired in 1993 and a translation department and
catechism office established. Thirty- four titles are already in
circulation. Liturgical and prayer books include: 1) the official “Book of
Holy Services of the Orthodox Church” which has the Matins, Vespers, Divine
Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, and the
Presanctified Liturgy; 2) a pocket-size book of the Divine Liturgy of St.
John Chrysostom; 3) a pocket-size book of the Matins, Vespers and Compline
Services; 4) the Para-clesis to the Virgin Mary; 5) the Lamentations of Holy
Friday; and 6) the Church Calendar of 1997.
Theological titles include: 1)
Holy Communion; 2) There is No More Beautiful Faith Than Christianity; 3)
The Gospel as the Base of Life; 4) The Holy Cross; 5) Faith; and 6)
Orthodoxy.
Catechetical books include: 1) What Do Orthodox Christians
Believe, 2) Orthodox Religious Lessons 1,2,3; 3) the kindergarten manual “In
the Lap of Christ”; 4) Jesus Christ - Our Savior; 5) Promise and
Realization: Kingdom of Heaven; 6) Faith and Life; 7) The Church: The Road
to Holiness.
Spiritual and Historical books include: 1) History of an Indian
Prince; 2) Lives of the Saints Vol. 1-8; 3) History of the Orthodox
Autocephalous Church of Albania until 1944; 4) A Glance at the Monastery of Pogoni.
In addition to these various books, a monthly newspaper NGJALLJA
(“The Resurrection”) is distributed throughout the country. This newspaper
includes timely national and interna-tional Church news, along with
spiritual articles. When the need arises, occasional special addi-tions of
Ngjallja are published.
The latest publication has been a translation by Fr.
Joan Pelushi of the first two volumes of Fr. Thomas Hopko’s book “Orthodox
Faith.” Volumes one and two are entitled Doctrine and Worship. Also, soon to
be released is a publication of St. Basil’s treatise “On the Holy Spirit.”
Participation in Second European Assembly
His Beatitude Archbishop
Anastasios led a delegation of three persons from the Orthodox Autocephalous
Church of Albania to the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz,
Austria on June 23-29.
Seven hundred delegates representing more than 150
European Churches were present. The only two primates of Autocephalous
Orthodox Churches which participated in the affair were Patriarch Alexi of
Moscow and Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana.
The conference theme was
“Reconciliation: Gift of God and Source of New Life.” Archbishop Anastasios
was appointed co-moderator for the session on “Understanding Religions and
Dialogue in a New Context.”
The delegation of the Orthodox Autocephalous
Church of Albania included Archbishop Anastasios, Mr. Artan Kosti, and Mr.
Andi Nikolla. Following this conference was the 11th General Assembly of the
European Council of Churches from June 29-July 3. Representing the Orthodox
Church of Albania was Archimandrite Joan Pelushi, Ms. Nina Gramo, and Mr.
Irine Pandeleimon. The Church has been a full member of the CEC since 1994.
“Understanding Religions and Dialogue in a New Context”
“…The acceptance of
others as they are, with deep respect for their freedom and without wanting
to impose on them Christian views, is what makes it easy for us to converse
and commune with members of other religions or ideologies, to respect
unreservedly their human rights and to co-operate with them in a common
effort to ensure universal acceptance and protection of those rights,
peaceful co-existence and creative common effort toward a universal
“koinonia” of love. In the encounter and dialogue with people of other
faiths we have to proceed with deep respect, sincerity, discernment, openmindedness, humility, love, hope and joy . . .”
- from Archbishop
Anastasios’ presentation at the Assembly
10 Tons of Milk Distributed
On
August 3, 1997, ten tons of canned milk was given to the Orthodox
Autocephalous Church of Albania from donors in Greece. This milk is being
distributed by students of the Resurrection of Christ seminary to the local
orphanages, school for handicapped children, old age homes, hospitals, and
numerous poor families in the cities and surrounding villages of Durres,
Kavaja and Tirana. Distribution hopes to be completed by mid-September.
Church celebrates 5th year Anniversary of Its Restoration
On August 2, 1997
the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania celebrated the fifth year
anniversary of its official restoration from the ashes of its destruction by
the former atheistic State.
It was five years ago that His Beatitude
Archbishop Anastasios was officially enthroned in the Cathedral of the
Annunciation in Tirana as Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania.
A packed
church warmly congratulated the Archbishop for all his work and
contributions to the Church in Albania, as well as to the country in general
these past five years.
His Beatitude was chosen by the Ecumenical
Patriarchate in January 1991 to come to Albania and assess the situation of
the country and how best to restore the Orthodox Church after 46 years of
persecution and destruction. Before this calling, Archbishop Anastasios was
serving as acting Archbishop of Irinopoulis of East Africa for the previous
10 years (1981-91), as well as full-time professor of the History of
Religions at the University of Athens.
Over the past five years, the
Archbishop has directed and inspired the Church’s work at a fast pace in all
the areas of liturgy, catechism, education, publishing, and social and
building work. Since 1992 there has been a Theological Seminary running a
three-year course of study. Up to now 80 new priests have been ordained and
Orthodox parishes have been established in the major cities and in
approximately 400 villages. Sixty-seven new churches have been built from
scratch (fifty of them are all but complete), as have 15 chapels; another 63
have been reconstructed or restored and dozens have been refurbished. At the
same time the Church of Albania has been acquiring important buildings for
Church use: the Theological Seminary complex, the Archbishopric and
administrative offices, two Diocesan centers, three cultural centers, two
guest houses, a candle factory, etc.
Numerous Church projects are still in
progress. In particular there is a strong youth movement in numerous cities
and villages. These groups are offering outreach in the area of catechism
and social work. Two sites have been purchased to use for youth camps. The
program involving young people starts wherever possible right from infancy,
through a system of kindergartens (in Tirana, Durres, Korça, Kavaja). In
general, many are coming forward for catechism and baptism, including people
from non-Orthodox backgrounds or families.
In the area of social welfare,
the Church has reached out to needy people through its Diaconia Agape
ministry. During the past five years, thousands of tons of emergency aid,
food, clothing, and medical supplies have been delivered through the Church,
not only to thousands of Orthodox believers but also to many others in need,
irrespective of their religious persuasion. Countless individuals and
organizations, known and unknown, outside Albania have offered generous
donations.
Since 1995, the medical center “St. Luke the Evangelist” has been
functioning in Tirana. Two other clinics are preparing to open shortly in Korca and Kavaja. In the mountainous regions of Shpati and Korça, programs
in rural development have been inaugurated involving agriculture, water
supply, and guidance in matters of health and domestic management. Also,
groups of Albanian Orthodox women in various parishes are developing their
own particular activities in the field of human welfare.
At the same time
the Church’s extensive construction program is contributing to economic
development, offering work to dozens of local companies and hundreds of
laborers. On the whole the contemporary Orthodox Autocephalous Church of
Albania is recognized at home and abroad as a vibrant, creative entity,
making an invaluable contribution to the times we live in, critical as they
are for the Albanian people.
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