ELDER METROPOLITAN EMMANUEL OF CHALCEDON
Your Beatitude, Archbishop John of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania,
Your Eminences,
Your Graces,
Reverend Fathers,
Honourable Dignitaries,
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We assemble today beneath the vault of heaven, gathered in divine grace and encircled by that great cloud of witnesses, to commemorate a moment of momentous spiritual importance in the life of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. As humble emissaries of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Mother Church of Constantinople, we convey heartfelt salutations and apostolic blessings to this hallowed convocation.
The joyous resonance of church bells across Albania has acclaimed your election, Your Beatitude, summoning us to participate in this solemn enthronement. This sacramental handing-on of the archpastoral staff signifies not merely transition, but profound, unbroken continuity within the living Body of Christ. We stand at the commencement of a new chapter in the ancient and venerable history of Orthodoxy within these lands – a history inscribed with martyrdom, unwavering fidelity, and the undeniable power of resurrection from the embers of persecution.
In the timeless words of Holy Scripture, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). Assuredly, this divine radiance continues steadfastly to illumine the way ahead for the devout and resilient faithful people of Albania.
We perceive ourselves poised upon a sacred threshold where endings and beginnings intertwine through the enduring mystery of apostolic succession. The transition we observe today unfolds not simply as an institutional ceremony, but as a profound sacramental reality.
The ministry of your predecessor, Archbishop Anastasios of blessed memory, embodied the paschal mystery central to our Orthodox faith. Facing utter devastation, ruined churches, scattered clergy, faithful compelled to hide their devotion, he saw through the lens of faith not the finality of entombment, but the transformative potential for resurrection. His words at the Holy and Great Council in Crete (June, 2016) encapsulate his vision: «Για να ανταποκριθεί η Ορθοδοξία στην αποστολή της στα παγκόσμια δρώμενα, οφείλει προφανώς πριν από όλα να διατηρήσει αλώβητο το Μυστηριακό και Σωτηριολογικό της χαρακτήρα. Συγχρόνως όμως χρειάζεται να είναι ευαίσθητη στον πόνο, τις αγωνίες και στην κραυγή για δικαιοσύνη και ειρήνη των λαών». (For Orthodoxy to fulfil its mission in global affairs, it must first and foremost preserve its sacramental and soteriological character intact. At the same time, however, it needs to remain sensitive to the suffering, anxieties, and cry for justice and peace of the nations).
Under his foundational pastorship, the Church experienced a genuine anastasis, a rising again. Where silence reigned, chant ascended; where ruins stood, sanctuaries arose; where instruction was forbidden, academies flourished. This dramatic resurgence, especially in an era when many proclaim faith’s decline, stands as a living icon of hope, powerfully revealing that the Church’s vitality springs intrinsically from the mysterious inner workings of divine grace. This legacy of fidelity to tradition as the wellspring of renewal reminds us that tradition is not static but a living stream. We gratefully honour this foundational ministry.
Your Beatitude Archbishop John, you now receive the sacred mantle of shepherding Christ’s flock. Your personal narrative is profoundly interwoven with the mosaic of the Church you now lead, itself a testament to hidden fidelity, unexpected grace, and faith’s miraculous efflorescence. The continuity of apostolic ministry we witness embodies the mystery through which the eternal Christ remains present. The laying on of hands in consecration links your ministry sacramentally and directly to the Apostles. Your unique path, from concealed beginnings through theological formation abroad and return to serve the resurrected Church, prepared you specifically for this hour.
Saint Photius the Great reminds us the Church’s unity is an ark of salvation: «πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ἀπὸ τῆς τρικυμίας τοῦ παρόντος κατακλυσμοῦ ἔσωθεν τῆς μιᾶς κιβωτοῦ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δεῖ συναθροισθῆναι…» (Every living soul must be gathered within the one ark of the Church from the tempest of the present flood…). This vision illuminates your ministry within the indispensable communion of Orthodox Churches, visibly united by shared faith and unwavering eucharistic fellowship.
As you formally assume this sacred office, you embody continuity while inaugurating a fresh chapter, reflecting the kenotic ethos, self-emptying service, patterned after Christ Himself. Your ministry extends within concentric circles: to the local flock entrusted to your care, to the sister Orthodox Churches globally, and indeed to the wider human family.
The Mother Church of Constantinople imparts her blessing upon this enthronement, recognising both a culmination of faithful labour and an inception of new growth under your guidance. The apostolic ministry you bear connects you to an unbroken lineage yet propels you forward into new territories of witness and service in our complex world.
Your Beatitude, the path ahead requires honouring the ancient landmarks of tradition while responding with creative fidelity to emerging human needs, continuing the journey of revitalisation already achieved. The unity of the Church, that pearl of great price, must remain central. In an age often marked by fragmentation, Orthodox unity offers a powerful, countercultural testimony to communion transcending worldly divisions. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, in its historical role, persists in diligently nurturing this pan-Orthodox communion, fostering dialogue and coordination.
This essential unity finds authentic expression not through rigid uniformity but through a rich, symphonic consonance. This model reflects the divine life. As the commentator Oecumenius of Tricca noted, echoing St. Cyril concerning the union in Christ: «Δῆλον δὲ ὡς, ἔνθα μία καθ᾽ ὑπόστασιν ἕνωσις, πᾶσα διαιρέσεως ὑπόνοια ἀπελήλαται· τὸ γὰρ γνωρίζειν τῶν οὐσιῶν τὸ διάφορον οὐκ ἔστι διαιρεῖν ταύτας…» (Where there is union according to hypostasis, every suspicion of division is banished; for to recognize the difference of natures is not to divide them…). By acknowledging distinct gifts within the Church does not imply division when all are united in the one Lord through shared faith and participation in the life of the Holy Trinity.
Looking expectantly toward the future, the Church is summoned to a renewed apostolic witness that resonates with contemporary aspirations amid challenges of secularism and spiritual disorientation. Archbishop Anastasios’ words remain urgently pertinent: «…η προτροπή του ψαλμωδού διαχρονικά επιβάλλει: “άσατε τω Κυρίω άσμα καινόν…” (Ψαλμ. 95)» (…the exhortation of the psalmist imposes itself timelessly: ‘sing to the Lord a new song…’). This “new song” emerges not by abandoning ancient wisdom but through its creative, Spirit-guided rearticulation in dialogue with human experience, bringing forth “things new and old.” The Orthodox vision of integral wholeness offers a healing perspective in a fragmented world.
The particular, precious gift of the Orthodox Church of Albania to the wider oikoumene is its living, breathing testimony to resurrection, its embodied witness that faith’s light can endure the darkest persecution and emerge with renewed vigour. This paschal experience, embedded in your flock’s memory, qualifies your Church, under your leadership, to speak with special clarity today about the Orthodox tradition’s perennial capacity to engender new life amidst the most unpromising circumstances.
May this solemn enthronement signify not merely transition but a collective, heartfelt, renewed dedication to the Church’s perennial mission: to bear unwavering witness to Christ’s transfiguring light, illuminating the path toward healing and communion for all creation. May God grant you, Your Beatitude, wisdom and strength for many fruitful, Spirit-filled archpastoral years.
For indeed, “to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21).
AXIOS! HE IS WORTHY! I DENJË!
