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Church of Albania

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==Church restored==
As the communist world began to disintegrate in 1990, the government in Albania followed in its disintegration. The persecution of the Church ended, but the Orthodox hierarchy had been destroyed. Having granted autocephaly to the Albanian church, the Patriarch of Constantinople stepped in to guide the Albanians in their recovery. He appointed Metropolitan [[Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania|Anastasios]] of Androusa as Patriarchal [[Exarch]] in Albania to begin the reconstruction of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. On [[June 24]], 1992, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected Anastasios as Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania. The Synod also named three other bishops to the [[diocese|diocesan]] vacancies, but the government refused their entry into Albania, calling instead for the appointment of ethnic Albanians. Tensions continued between the Greek-centered hierarchy and the Albanian government over naming ethnic Albanians to the hierarchy of the Albanian church. This was complicated by tensions between the Greek and Albanian governments over the ethnic Greek minority in Albania.
The situation was finally resolved in 1998, when by mutual agreement among the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Albanian Church, and the Albanian government, Metr. Ignatios of Berat, who was one of the three bishops named earlier by the Ecumenical Patriarch, was enthroned, the other two hierarchs resigned, and two ethnic Albanians were elected. [[Archimandrite]] John Pelushi was elected Metropolitan of Korytsa (Korça) and Fr. Kosma Qirjo was elected Bishop of Apollonia, thus forming a full [[Holy Synod]] for the Church of Albania. In 2000, Bishop Kosma, who was 77 years old when elected, died and has not been replaced.
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