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Eastern Christianity
The Orthodox Church of Albania
| Doctrines | On all major issues the
Orthodox Church of Albania is in agreement with other Eastern Orthodox
Churches. (See Eastern Orthodoxy.)
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| History | Albania acquired
independence in 1912, following the end of Turkish rule in the region. As
the first world war came to an end a movement emerged which sought to set
up a national church independent of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It
was not until 1937 that Constantinople recognised the Albanian Church as
autocephalous. With the establishment of a Communist government in 1945,
the Church was subjected to severe persecution. In 1967, the government
proclaimed the abolition of all religion in the country and the closure of
all churches, forcing Christians and Muslims to operate underground. In
1990, however, the ban on religious activities was lifted, and churches
and mosques began to reopen. The following year the Patriarchate of
Constantinople appointed a Greek bishop to oversee the Albanian church.
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| Symbols | Festal icons, Christ as
Pantocrator, Mary as Theotokos. (See Eastern
Orthodoxy.)
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| Adherents | An estimated 20% of
Albania's population of 3,363,000 belong to the Orthodox Church (Europa
Publications Limited 1995, 1:321-2).
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| Headquarters/ Main Centre | Rruja
kavaja 151, Tirana; tel. (42) 42271; fax 32109.
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