The President of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, has once again remembered former Archbishop Anastas Janullatos, who passed away a few days ago.
While in prison on SPAK's orders, Meta, through a Facebook announcement, brought to attention a conversation he had when he was prime minister, when Anastasi had gone to the office to ask for the land where the "Resurrection of Christ" Cathedral would be built.
Meta said that the Cathedral was built under the care of Janullato and added that in the prison cell there is a calendar that the former archbishop had previously sent him.
Meta's post:
As church bells have begun to ring across Albania and thousands of Orthodox believers and Albanian citizens honor the procession with the body of His Beatitude, Anastasios Janullatos, an Orthodox calendar (the only one in my cell, surprisingly), urges me, unable to join these tributes to this extraordinary world-class personality, not to remain without sharing with you some fragments of memories firmly engraved in my memory.
It is precisely the Orthodox calendar for the year 2025 that His Beatitude sent me on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.
Surprisingly, no one else remembered to send me a calendar as a New Year's gift, when in fact, the calendar here where I am is very important for understanding that time flows and that it should not be wasted.
Because here, without a calendar, Monday is no different from Sunday.
In addition to the practical value of the calendar and important holidays or days of Orthodoxy, it also serves as a wonderful and very concise promoter of the extraordinary works that His Beatitude has built in our country since June 24, 1992 when Prof. Dr. Anastasi was elected Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all of Albania.
It all started from grace and His Beatitude was the only hierarch until 1998, when the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania was created.
Under his special care, a new generation of Albanian clergy of all ranks was educated, which is the most important investment for the successful continuity of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
Meanwhile, in 33 years, 161 new churches were built and 170 churches were repaired, in addition to the restoration of 69 monasteries and churches - cultural monuments.
Likewise, over 80 kindergartens, schools, youth centers, health centers, canteens for the poor, rest homes for children, etc. were established.
Thanks to His personality on a global level, our Church was represented at the highest levels of the World Council of Churches, where our Archbishop managed to be its President, just as he was elected Honorary President of the largest Interreligious Organization "Religions for Peace" in 2009.
Under his care, 12 million euros were spent on cultural heritage alone, and not only were 600 icons restored, but a new generation of iconographic artists was also prepared.
Not forgetting the contributions during humanitarian crises such as that of Kosovo, where 33 thousand Albanians were welcomed with generosity and care by the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
And while his contributions are extraordinary and unique in transforming the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania into a center of international activities, not only religious but also cultural and academic, unfortunately there have been many misunderstandings towards him simply because of his Greek origin.
In 2000, when I visited the Boston Church as Prime Minister, at a special moment I asked Father Artur Liolin, who was waiting for me, to be alone for 5 minutes.
Please, I ask, tell me honestly about Archbishop Anastasios, because there is a lot of debate about him and how we should behave?
His answer was very comprehensive: "If you see him as a Greek you will always be prejudiced, but if you see him as a missionary you will make the right decisions."
This approach helped me a lot in some important decisions that I was forced to make because of my positions.
Firstly, regarding the approval of the site where the magnificent new Cathedral stands today in the center of Tirana.
I remember like today that just 1 week after I, as newly elected Prime Minister, had received all the leaders of religious communities, assuring them that I would do everything to return their properties, Fortlumturia asked me for a meeting.
"Based on the meeting with you where you expressed your willingness to return our properties, I am here to ask you to resolve the issue of the Cathedral," he told me.
I definitely tell them we'll get it back.
"But there is a problem," Fortlumturia said, "that our property is where 'Hotel Tirana' was built, so we do not insist on it, because we want to build a beautiful and dignified Cathedral and not destroy something."
"Therefore, please compensate us with an equivalent piece of land near the center and with sufficient space."
"Absolutely," I tell him, "we'll try to find a dignified space near the center."
Meanwhile, Fortlumturia took the second step.
"We have studied this situation, he tells me, and the most suitable place and one that does not create problems is here (and points to the space between the Socialist Party building and the Ministry of Defense)."
I was surprised and to gain some time, I told him that we would look at other similar spaces near the center and if we don't find one, we would definitely approve the one you are looking for.
It was not an easy decision to make at a time when the Socialist Party was often attacked as a pro-Greek party, etc.
But there really wasn't another problem-free space around the center of Tirana.
So one day I go to the SP headquarters to have a coffee and casually tell some of its experts that I've fallen out with the Archbishop because I promised him that I would find him a place to build the Cathedral because we can't give him back the 'Hotel Tirana'.
"I'll find it," they told me.
"He found it himself," I told them, pointing from the windows of the PS that overlooked the kiosks, to the flowerbed in front of the Ministry of Defense.
He wants this space and there is no other like it around the center of Tirana.
I do not want to talk today about the absurd reactions that came not from a lack of desire, but from the fear of political attacks, about how this permission between the Socialist Party and the Ministry of Defense could be interpreted, but I want to underline the fact that Fortlumturia had every step studied and well-planned and knew how to keep its word.
He always told me we would have a Cathedral that would beautify Tirana and serve everyone.
That's how it happened.
Its inauguration was world news, because top world and European leaders attended, and this was an excellent promotion of Albania as a country of religious freedom.
The second case that I will share with you today is that of the issue of His Albanian citizenship, unresolved for 25 years.
Every time I met with His Excellency in various capacities before becoming President of the Republic, he always raised this issue with great humility and regret.
I understood it well, but I was also somewhat "comfortable" because this was an exclusive matter for the President of the Republic.
On the occasion of my election as President, Fortlumturia was undoubtedly among the first to meet me to congratulate me.
Meanwhile, I was prepared for the issue that troubled him the most.
After all the verifications made, it was clear that there was no problem in granting a right that the law had granted him in a timely manner.
Of course, there was a debate whether Fortlumturia would follow the usual procedures that every foreign citizen follows after 5 years of residence in Albania, by going to the police and applying to receive citizenship, or would she receive it directly from the President of the Republic due to special merits.
The first path was overcome in this case because Fortlumturia had not only been a resident in Albania for 5 years, but for 25 years, and above all, he was the leader of a very large and important community in our country.
Moreover, his contribution was rare and likewise his age and nobility deserved the highest respect.
I tell him without any worries about the citizenship issue, it will be resolved within a year. As for when, I'll have to think about it.
Was there a better occasion than on Christmas Day 2017 to perform this act accompanied by a public appreciation along with congratulations for the holiday?
But what I want to highlight was his reaction that day when he received the decree in his hands according to my Director of the Cabinet, Mr. Arben Cici.
He was happy and said: "Finally, I will die as an Albanian."
And while his birthplace did him all the honors, He chose Albania as his resting place, because above all He was a missionary and for more than a third of His life He dedicated Himself to the resurrection from the ashes of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
This is also the reason why he graciously rejected the proposal to be elected President of Greece.
Likewise, his wisdom as a missionary and patience with extraordinary foresight was expressed when he was attacked, saying that with the "stones" they threw at me, he would build other churches.
Perhaps we were not as far-sighted as we should have been to better "use" his world-renowned personality, more for the good of our country, but Fortulturia, by choosing Albania as his resting place, has again left us the opportunity to use his legacy and his memory in the future.
May he rest in well-deserved peace! (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
