The Albanian Orthodox Church has announced the passing of Archbishop Anastasius of Tirana, who played a crucial role in reviving the Orthodox Church in Albania following the end of the communist regime in 1990.

Archbishop Anastasius (95), the leader of the Albanian Orthodox Church, died in an Athens hospital’s intensive care unit after succumbing to multiple organ failure, as reported by the church.

He had been hospitalized in Tirana on December 30 due to a viral infection, but his deteriorating condition led to his transfer to Athens shortly afterward.

Patriarch Anastasios (Janulatos) is credited with the restoration and revitalization of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, which he rebuilt from its foundations after the collapse of the atheistic regime, according to a statement from the church.

“With divine insight and relentless dedication, he rejuvenated church life from the ground up, erected hundreds of churches, founded educational, health, and charitable institutions, and nurtured a new generation of priests committed to continuous service and sacrifice,” stated the Albanian Orthodox Church.

Born Anastasios Janulatos in Greece in 1929, he arrived in Albania in 1991, right after the fall of the communist regime that had governed the country since the mid-1940s, and he is recognized for revitalizing the Orthodox Autocephalous Church in Tirana. He led this church for over three decades.

At the time of his passing, Archbishop Anastasij was attending the funeral of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s head, Patriarch Pavle, in Belgrade.

The 2023 census indicates that Orthodox Christians constitute approximately seven percent of Albania’s 2.4 million population; however, the church believes that the actual number is higher. The religious composition of the country includes roughly half Muslims, followed by Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, other religious groups, and atheists.

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