Our Firm Foundation, Our Refuge, and Our Deliverer Ancient Foundations and New Beginnings: Building the Church in Post-Communist Albania by Nathan Hoppe
Fall 2018
The resurrection of the Orthodox Church in Albania over the past 25 years, under the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios, is one of the most inspiring stories in the modern Church. In 1991, Albania was the only place in the world where all religious practice was illegal. The Church had been persecuted from the time that the Communist government under Enver Hoxha came to power in November, 1944. In 1967, after systematically persecuting, undermining, and
Nathan Hoppe with Archbishop Anastasios infiltrating the Church for 23 years, the government took the unprecedented step of declaring all religion illegal and disbanding all religious institutions. All Church properties were nationalized, all clergy were forced to stop serving, and all of the remaining bishops died during the following years of total persecution. Church buildings were destroyed or converted for other uses (such as barns for animals). There was a systematic effort to degrade the image of the Church and all religion in the eyes of the people. It became impossible for parents to teach children about their Orthodox faith because they were regularly questioned at school regarding practices at home.
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In 1991, the Communist totalitarian state collapsed and religious freedom returned. Archbishop Anastasios was sent by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
as patriarchal exarch to investigate what was left in Albania. What he found was a Church whose structures had been totally devastated, but contained many people who had kept faith secretly and who were eager for catechism, baptism, and renewal. At the insistence of the people of Albania he was elected as the Archbishop of Tirana, reestablishing its structure as an Autocephalous Church. This was a new beginning in the history of an ancient Church. The Gospel was preached in Albania very early with a bishop established in the city of DurrĂŤs by the end of the first century. According to some traditions the Apostle Paul himself may have worked here. The history of the Church in Albania has been rich and complicated. Over the centuries the geographical region that is now Albania passed between different empires and ecclesial jurisdictions. The resurrection of the Orthodox Church of Albania has been spectacular. In a place where there were no functioning church buildings in 1991, there are now 370 Orthodox churches. Of these, 150 are newly built, 60 are repaired, 160 are restored, and 160 clergy have been trained and ordained. The Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania has been reestablished. The Church also has numerous initiatives in healthcare, education, and development. When Archbishop Anastasios was elected and enthroned, he had no assured sources of income. Because of his international stature and the great respect that so many have for him he has been able to raise a great deal of financial support. In the early 90s Albania had virtually no functioning economy following the complete collapse of the failed government. The Archbishop and the fledgling Church were dependent for everything on the generosity of donors from outside Albania. Generous support from Greece and other countries flowed in, providing necessary funding for its daily operating expenses and the rebuilding of the infrastructure. These spectacular achievements under his leadership only tell part of the story. The greater challenge and achievements have involved the reigniting of the
