Delegations of Local Churches arrive for farewell to Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

The heads and delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches have arrived in Tirana, the capital of Albania, where the funeral service for the newly departed Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, is taking place. The funeral service for the First Hierarch of the Albanian Church is attended by the Primates of the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Bulgaria, as well as the heads of the Greek and Cypriot Churches and representatives of the Romanian, Russian and other Local Churches.

It is reported that representatives of the Local Churches began to arrive in Tirana on the eve of the funeral service. Thus, on the evening of January 29, a memorial service for the newly deceased Archbishop Anastasios was held at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ by a representative of the Patriarchate of Antioch, Metropolitan Isaac of Germany. Later, the funeral prayer was also performed by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria.

On January 30, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece, Archbishop George of Cyprus, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek politicians Nikos Androulakis and Sokratis Famellos arrived in Tirana. The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by the head of the ROC DECR, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk.

It is reported that after the Divine Liturgy, the burial will take place in a special crypt under the altar of the Cathedral, which was prepared by His Beatitude Archbishop himself.