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With full votes, the Holy Synod elects the Metropolitan of Gjirokastra

2025-09-16 12:48:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Graceful Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, under the leadership of His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Joan, convened today, September 16, 2025, at the headquarters of the Synodal Center of the Graceful Archbishopric of Tirana, in accordance with the Statute of the Church, and held the following elections:

He elected with full votes as Metropolitan of Gjirokastra: His Grace, the current Metropolitan of Amantia, His Grace Nathanael. The enthronement of the new Metropolitan will take place on September 20, 2025, at 11:00, in the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection of Christ, in Gjirokastra.

METROPOLITAN OF GJIROKASTRA, HIS HOLINESS NATHANAILI (Stergiu)

His Grace, Metropolitan of Gjirokastra, Mr. Nathanail (Stergiu), was born in Taksiarhas, Trikala, in 1957. He completed his studies at the "Athoniadha" high school on Mount Athos (1978) and at the Faculty of Theology of the "Aristotle" University of Thessaloniki (1982).

He was tonsured a monk at the Gracious Monastery of the Great Lavra of the Holy Mountain (1979), ordained deacon (1982) and priest (1987) by His Grace, Bishop of Rodostoli, Chrysostomos.

From 1991 to 2012, he served as a parish priest, spiritual director and preacher in the Holy Metropolis of Gjirokastra, as well as a teacher at the "Holy Cross" church high school in Gjirokastra.

In January 2012, he received the episcopal rank of priesthood from our late Archbishop Anastasios, and was entrusted with the care of the newly built Cathedral Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana. He has also served to this day as the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of our Church.

On April 7, 2016, the Episcopate of Amantia was elevated to the rank of Metropolitanate and Bishop Nathanail was appointed its Titular Metropolitan. He is a member of the executive board of the "Orthodox Evangelization Clinic" Foundation./ CNA