His Beatitude Onuphry expresses condolences to the Synod of Albanian Church

Archbishop Anastasios. Photo: orthodoxalbania

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine expressed condolences to the Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church following the passing of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, according to the UOC website on January 25.

“On behalf of the episcopate, clergy, all faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and myself personally, I extend condolences to you and the entirety of the Albanian Orthodox Church,” the Primate noted. “It is no exaggeration to say that, considering his fruitful life and tireless, multifaceted ministry, the newly-departed His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios became one of the most outstanding hierarchs of all Orthodoxy in this period of Church history that we are experiencing.”

His Beatitude Onuphry underscored that Archbishop Anastasios will be remembered as an archpastor who revived and gave new life to the Albanian Orthodox Church, as an exceptional missionary who labored greatly in preaching the Gospel in African countries, and as a profound theologian and teacher whose students include many current clerics and bishops, not only from the Greek world but also from numerous other Orthodox nations.

“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will always gratefully remember his words of support, as well as his bold, uncompromising, and honest canonical stance, with which the newly-departed hierarch spoke during the crises that shook the Church in Ukraine and the broader Orthodox world,” the message reads.

His Beatitude expressed his belief that “as the newly-departed hierarch enters eternity, he can echo the words of the Holy Apostle Paul: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day’ (2 Tim. 4:6–8).”

“May the Lord grant rest to the soul of the newly-departed archpastor in His Heavenly Mansions, where all the righteous find repose. Eternal memory to His Beatitude!” he concluded.

As previously reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists, on January 25 at 8:30 AM, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church, reposed in the Lord at the age of 95. Archbishop Anastasios passed away at Evangelismos Hospital in Athens.

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