Archbishop Joan of Albania Received with Honors at Ecumenical Patriarchate, Emphasizes Orthodox Unity

OCP News Service – 15/06/2025

Constantinople – Turkey: Archbishop Joan of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, received an official and warm welcome at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on Saturday, June 14, 2025, marking his first peaceful visit since his election and symbolizing the fraternal ties between the two Churches. Archbishop Joan, accompanied by a delegation including Metropolitans Nikolaos of Apollonia and Fieri, and Astios of Vera, Avlon and Kanini, arrived in Constantinople on Friday, June 13. (Source: Official reports from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, June 14, 2025).

Upon arrival at the Patriarchate, Archbishop Joan and his delegation were received with honors by Metropolitan Emanuel of Chalcedonia, members of the patriarchal court, and clergy. A Doxology service was held in the Patriarchal Church of St. George, presided over by Archbishop Joan himself.

The official welcoming ceremony followed in the Throne Hall, where His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered a heartfelt address. Patriarch Bartholomew praised Archbishop Joan as a “worthy and honored successor” of his “blessed predecessor” and highlighted the Albanian Orthodox Church’s long history of martyrdom and resilience, particularly during periods of persecution and atheism. He lauded the Church’s rebirth, referencing the pivotal role of the Mother Church of Constantinople in granting autocephaly in 1937 and sending Archbishop Anastasios in 1991 to rebuild the Church from its ruins.

In his response, Archbishop Joan expressed gratitude for the invitation and the warm reception. He underscored the historical apostolic roots of the Albanian Church, noting that Apostle Paul had “fully preached the gospel of Christ” as far as Illyricum (modern Albania). He praised the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s beneficial contributions to the Albanian Church’s course throughout the 20th century, particularly its wise decision to grant autocephaly and its provision of spiritual leadership during the difficult post-communist reconstruction period under Archbishop Anastasios.

Archbishop Joan affirmed the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s “crucial coordinating role” as a “guarantee of the unity in the Holy Spirit of all the brother Orthodox Churches,” serving as a testament to Orthodoxy in a turbulent modern world. He conveyed wishes for Patriarch Bartholomew’s continued strength in his “high and responsible work.”

A magnificent concelebration was held at the Phanar on Sunday, June 15, 2025, led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with the participation of Archbishop Joan of Albania and numerous hierarchs, commemorating the Sunday of All Saints.

Source:
OCP News Service