Another big lie by Professor Pëllumb Xhufi about the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania

2023-09-23 13:39:00, Aktualitet Aleksandër Dimroçi

Prof. Dr. Anastasin circulates these days in the online media of the country. We will respond to the attack with slander and untruths by this historian with facts, figure and voice.

Specifically, on September 21, 2023 on Dritare TV and Dritare.net, in the show "Albania" of the well-known journalist, Mr. Dritan Hila, the historian Mr. Xhufi conveys a statement that Archbishop Anastas made on a Greek TV and where he said according to Mr. Xhufi:

"The time has come for me to leave the head of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, because it is not right for a foreigner to lead a church from another country".

Are the words of Mr. Xhufi true when he quotes or even paraphrases Archbishop Anastas in his interview given to Skai TV in December 2017?

We present to you the clarification of the authentic video of this interview, minutes 9:26 to 10:43, the part where Mr. Xhufi claims to have quoted or paraphrased Archbishop Anastas.

Greek journalist: - Let's try to understand a little, you are telling me that most of your people in Albania are not Greek.

Archbishop Anastas: - Yes.

Greek journalist: - What does this mean, that if you leave at some point, your successor will be an Albanian?

Archbishop Anastas: - Of course, this is natural.

I have been there for many years now. So?

Listen: We don't have the courage to put ourselves in other people's shoes.

For reasons that I have since 1963 that I am in international environments, I have learned to respect the other, as he is, to think about what his right is, what his rights are.

Would you think that if we (the Greeks) were in the same conditions, we would accept for so many years someone from Bulgaria or Serbia to be Archbishop...?

No, I call this self-evident and natural.

We did not go there to create a colony.

We went to rebuild the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. There are people who think that there is like one of the Archbishoprics such as of Crete or elsewhere, depending on the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

It's not like that.

Among the 14 autocephalous churches is that of Albania, followed by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

So, the Church of Albania has a role within Orthodoxy.

This juxtaposition of the words of Archbishop Anastas in an interview given to Skai TV, compared to the quote or paraphrasing made by the historian, professor of history Mr. Pëllumb Xhufi, has no compatibility. The words of Archbishop Anastas, according to Mr. Xhufi's testimony:

"The time has come for me to leave the head of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, because it is not right for a foreigner to lead a church from another country" - these are words that the Archbishop has never said.

Therefore, the statement of Mr. Xhufi is untrue and a lie, the author of which in this case is proved by voice and image is the professor of history Mr. Pëllumb Xhufi himself, who himself produces and shares them with the public and especially when they are said openly, in the media and in public, this action is called public deception.

Written by Aleksandër Dimroçi - Radio "Njjallja"