The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Anastas Janullatos, passed away on January 25, 2025, at the age of 95, at the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens, following organ failure. The news was confirmed by the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, which announced that the Archbishop had been hospitalized in Tirana on December 31 and was then transferred to Athens for treatment.
Janullatos, born in Piraeus, Greece on November 4, 1929, arrived in Albania in July 1991 and was appointed Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania in August 1992. During his leadership, the Church was reorganized after the communist regime, building over 400 parishes, 155 new churches and restoring 200 others. The largest work was the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, the third largest Orthodox church in Europe.
Janullatos also contributed to improving Albania-Greece relations and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000. In 2017, he received Albanian citizenship.
His body will be transferred to Tirana and the funeral ceremony will be scheduled after the Synod meeting. Religious and international personalities are expected to participate.