Archbishop John of Albania to visit U.S. to speak at Archbishop Anastasios Memorial Conference

His Beatitude Archbishop John of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania will pay a visit to the United States of America. At the invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop John will deliver the keynote address at the International Conference «Anastasios: Archbishop, Theologian, Missionary» to be held at the Holy Cross School of Theology on March 2-4, 2026.

According to the Orthodox Observer, this conference is timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of Archbishop Anastasios, whose life and ministry had a huge impact on the Orthodox Church. The event will be organized by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Holy Cross Divinity School in cooperation with the HCHC Missionary Institute.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros emphasized the significance of this event, stating: «It is a great honor to welcome His Beatitude Archbishop John of Albania to share his reflections on the legacy of the late Archbishop Anastasios, who literally revived the Orthodox Church in this country after a destructive atheistic regime reduced it to ruin. This extraordinary visit will also provide an opportunity to strengthen ties between the Orthodox Churches in our land.»

The visit of Archbishop John of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania will not only honor the memory of Archbishop Anastasios, but will also provide an important platform for ecumenical dialogue and strengthening inter-denominational ties. It is expected that the conference will attract a wide range of theologians, researchers and clergy.

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 expressed its position on this issue and it remains unchanged.