Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland’s Condolences on the Passing of Archbishop Athanasios
It is with deep emotion that I have received news of Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana-Durrës and all Albania’s passage from time into eternity at the age of 95. His earthly journey, which began in Piraeus on November 4, 1929, has now been fulfilled in a way that reminds us of St. Maximos the Confessor’s profound insight: “Love is the good movement that, having originated from God, leads the soul back to God.” This movement and return to original unity aptly describes the arc of Anastasios’s life.
Just as a grain of wheat conceals in its death the possibility of future harvest, so in Anastasios the church’s tradition found new flourishing precisely because he dared to live out this evangelical teaching. His work from 1992 onward as rebuilder of the Albanian church marked the beginning of a new era in a country where atheistic governance had destroyed almost all religious life. From complete destruction and 23 years of silence arose, under his leadership, a flourishing church that served the whole society by building schools, hospitals, and social institutions.
His wisdom and humility made him a deeply respected figure among both Christians and Muslims in Albania, as evidenced by the Athenagoras Human Rights Award in 2001 and his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000. These recognitions were but a pale intimation of the glory in which he now partakes. Above all, they testify to the spiritual fruit that his life bore even in this temporal realm.
Serving as Chairman of the World Council of Churches (2006-2013) and for over six decades in the ecumenical movement, Archbishop Anastasios demonstrated how deep understanding of Orthodox tradition can serve as a bridge between different faiths. His spiritual legacy reminds us that genuine dialogue is not compromise but a gateway to deeper understanding of truth. Now this bearer of holy wisdom has passed into that mystical silence where all human definitions and divisions are revealed as mere shadows before God’s brightness.
As Bishop of East Africa throughout the 1980s, the archpastor became well known among those working in our church’s missionary work. During his several visits to Finland, Archbishop Anastasios stirred bishops, priests, and church people alike with his direct speech, urging them to always remain in Christ’s truth.
The Orthodox Church of Finland joins me in prayer that God would grant him eternal peace in His kingdom, where there is no more pain, sorrow, or night, for our Lord Himself is now his light.
In sorrow but in hope of resurrection,
Elia
Archbishop of Helsinki and all Finland
