Prime Minister Edi Rama received the news of Pope Francis' passing while he was holding an electoral meeting in the city of Kavaja.
The head of government asked the hall to observe a minute of silence in honor of the memory of the Holy Father, and then recalled the words that Francis said during his visit to Tirana on September 21, 2014.
"There is religious brotherhood," were the words of the Holy Father that Rama quoted, adding that he had a conversation with the Pope that left an impression on him.
"I am sorry that Pope Francis has passed away. I had a personal relationship with him. He constantly sent me SMS. I am very sorry. He chose to visit Albania, the first country outside the Vatican he visited after being elected Pope. He spent an unforgettable day in Albania. He said that Albania has religious brotherhood. He was a Pope unlike any other. I ask your understanding to honor him with a minute of silence. I said to him: ' Holy Pope, you have made many enemies, saying things that no Pope has ever said .' He said to me: ' Prime Minister, if I don't say the things I have to say, now that I have time with the people, who will I tell, the worms in the grave?' " Rama said. (A2 Televizion)
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