Anastasios of Albania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Beatitude Anastasios
Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania
Enthroned	24 June 1992
Reign ended	25 January 2025
Predecessor	Damian (1974)
Personal details
Birth name	Anastasios Yannoulatos
Born	(1929-11-04)4 November 1929 Piraeus, Greece
Died	25 January 2025(2025-01-25) (aged 95) Athens, Greece
Alma mater	University of Athens University of Hamburg University of Marburg Makerere University
Signature

Archbishop Anastasios (born Anastasios Yannoulatos; 4 November 1929 – 25 January 2025) was a very important leader in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He served as the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania. This means he was the main leader of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, which is a self-governing (autocephalous) branch of the Orthodox Christian faith.

He was chosen for this role in June 1992. Before that, he was a respected professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He was also an honorary member of the Academy of Athens. Anastasios was involved in global religious groups, serving as one of the presidents of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He was also the honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

Life and Work of Archbishop Anastasios

Anastasios was born in Piraeus, Greece. His family came from the island of Cephalonia. In 2017, he became an Albanian citizen. He dedicated his life to leading the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. Early in his career, he also did a lot of charity work in Africa.

His Education Journey

Anastasios was a brilliant student. He finished high school with high honors in 1947. He then earned a degree in Divinity from the National University of Athens in 1952. He continued his studies in Germany, focusing on the history of religions, cultures, and Christian missions.

He also did research in Africa from 1965 to 1969. He earned his doctorate in Theology in 1970. During his studies, he learned about many different religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, African religions, and Islam.

Serving the Church

Anastasios began his church service as a deacon in 1960. He became a priest in 1964 and a bishop in 1972. He served as an acting archbishop in parts of Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) from 1981 to 1991. He then became the special representative of the Patriarch in Albania in 1991.

On June 24, 1992, he was chosen as the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and Primate of Albania. He held this important position until his death. After a big earthquake hit Albania in 2019, he received a letter of support from the World Council of Churches. This letter showed care for the people affected and highlighted his close work with other religious communities.

His Work in Society

Anastasios was very active in helping people and communities. He started as a lay preacher, teaching teenagers and leading Bible studies. He also organized camps for students. He founded and led an important center called "Porefthendes" which focused on missionary work.

He also directed the Inter-Orthodox Centre of the Church of Greece. This center organized many conferences and social activities. While studying in Germany, he helped Greek workers and students living there. He was part of many committees that worked on social issues, education, and protecting cultural heritage.

Global Church Connections

Anastasios played a big role in connecting different Christian churches around the world. He was involved with the World Council of Churches (WCC) for many years. He helped with missionary studies and worked to build relationships between Orthodox churches and other Christian groups.

He also participated in many international meetings and conferences. He gave talks about Christian faith, talking with people of other religions, and working for peace around the world. He was an honorary member of "Pro Oriente," a Roman Catholic organization. He also served as a president of the World Council of Churches from 2006 onwards.

Illness and Death

In November 2020, Anastasios became sick with COVID-19. He was flown to Athens, Greece, for treatment and stayed in the hospital for 12 days. He often received medical care in Athens in his later years.

He was admitted to a hospital in Tirana on December 30, 2024, due to a seasonal virus. Four days later, he was flown to Athens again. He had emergency surgery but sadly passed away on January 25, 2025, from organ failure.

Honours

Archbishop Anastasios received many awards and honors for his important work. Some of these include:

• The Holy Cross of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark from the Patriarchate of Alexandria (1985).
• The Silver Medal of the Academy of Athens for his pioneering work in missionary theology (1987).
• The Grand Cross of the Order of Honor from the Hellenic Republic (1997).
• The Medal of the Great Prince Vladimir from the Russian Church (1998).
• The Athenagoras Human Rights Award from New York (2001).
• Honorary Citizen of Tirana (2005) and Korça (2007).
• The Prize for strengthening Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations (Moscow 2006).

Titles

Styles of The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania
Reference style	His Beatitude
Spoken style	Your Beatitude
Religious style	Archbishop
Posthumous style	N/A

The full official title for Archbishop Anastasios was: His Beatitude, Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania.

See also

• Rrok Mirdita
• Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania