Primate of the Albanian Church is recognized as "Person of the Year 2025" in Albania

The Primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, His Beatitude Archbishop John, was named «Person of the Year 2025» according to the results of the annual News Bomb poll. This recognition emphasizes the significance of his contribution to the spiritual life of the country and the strengthening of interreligious dialogue.

According to OrthoChristian, more than 10,000 people took part in the voting conducted by News Bomb, choosing from 12 candidates selected by the editorial team. Archbishop John received 32% of the vote, far outpacing his closest rival, who garnered 28%, while the third-place candidate received only 8% of the support.

The recognition of Archbishop John is due to his election in 2025 as Primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, making him the first ethnic Albanian to hold this position since 1990. The News Bomb noted that «with his calm demeanor, measured words and messages of unity, he has won universal respect and appreciation, which has been reflected in public support.»

His Beatitude was baptized during the period of state atheism in Albania by the late Bishop Cosmas Kyrios of Apollonia, who was martyred and actively participated in the resistance to the communist regime of Hoxha. Now Archbishop John continues the work of his spiritual father, Archbishop Anastasios, by developing the internationally recognized structures created by his predecessor for the small but respected Orthodox Church of Albania. He is also actively working to recover church property, the rights to which have been recognized by the courts but not yet realized.

While maintaining positive relations with other Christian communities, it does not hesitate to express constructive disagreements when necessary. The Albanian government has expressed support for his leadership, both because of his Albanian origin and his commitment to the development of peaceful coexistence between the country’s religious communities.

Earlier, the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Archbishop John, spoke about the Ukrainian church issue. The first hierarch drew attention to the fact that the creation of the OCU split world Orthodoxy, noting that the Synod of the Albanian Church had expressed its position on this issue and it remains unchanged.