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Mass of the Third Sunday of Great Lent/ The Faithful: Worthy Follower of Beatitude Anastasius

2025-03-23 11:40:00, Aktualitet CNA

Mass of the Third Sunday of Great Lent/ The Faithful: Worthy Follower of

The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, His Beatitude, Bishop Joani, celebrated Mass today on the Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. Thousands of believers gathered at the "Resurrection of Christ" Cathedral in the city of Korça, where they welcomed with great emotion the Archbishop, who served the Metropolis of this city for 27 years with great devotion.

The Orthodox believers, amidst great emotions, welcomed the Archbishop with great happiness and love, not sparing even the best words for him. The believers consider His Beatitude, Bishop Joan, as a wise, loving, caring man, available to them at any moment with valuable advice. Some of them have known him since the first day when Bishop Joan took charge of the Holy Metropolis in Korça, while they have shown that they have had an excellent cooperation over the past 27 years.

"He is one of the brightest figures that Orthodoxy has produced. He is a worthy successor to Beatitude Anastasios, whom God honored where he was taken. He is the Archbishop of Korça and today it is in his honor that he celebrates the first mass as Beatitude of Albania. I have known him since the first day he came here, as bishop of Korça. I feel excited and extremely pleased, I am also a member of the Cathedral choir, so we have had a very warm and close collaboration with him."

"I'm happy to be coming because I heard he's the archbishop. I loved him very much. I'm a regular believer, I wish him all the best. Since he came here, I've been here and I was also there when he received the crown of the Bishop in Tirana, we went by bus. I accompanied him, I always came, I kissed his hand all those times. I wish him success and may he always be sanctified."

"I am very happy that the Despot of Korça has been given the opportunity to become the Archbishop of Albania. He is the most worthy man who can offer us the best services for all Albanians. I know him as a very smart man, very wise, a man who gives a lot of valuable advice to people. I am very happy to have him here today."

"He is the best, kindest, most spiritual and most righteous man. He has taught us many things about the church, about humanity, about faith in God, about forgiveness, about having friendship from all sides. I am very happy that he came. I have also worked in the church and there I got to know Monsignor Joan very well."

The faithful have been waiting for about 4 hours at the Cathedral of Korça to participate in the Divine Liturgy that began at 09:00 this morning. This is a historic mass with the participation of the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church, where Bishop Joan Pelushi greeted the flock of the Holy Metropolis of Korça./ CNA