Liturgical Texts (Albanian Orthodox Church)

http://www.orthodoxalbania.org/new/index...335&lang=en

Liturgical Texts (Eparchy of Lungro)

http://www.webmit.it/LUNGRO.htm

Mëshiro, o Zot./Lipisi, o Zot

See also (Baptism)
http://www.arbitalia.it/news/eparchia_lungro/2008/

In which language the Albanian Orthodox Church conducts its liturgies?

The Eparchy of Lungo uses Byzantine Greek (a part from some minors parts in Italian), so any comparison on the Albanian texts is irrelevant.

In which language the Albanian Orthodox Church conducts its liturgies?

In Albanian and in Greek (specially in those areas where this language is spoken)as far as I know (I do not know if there are currently orthodox churches in Albanian using other languages, as church slavonic, as far as I know the territory north of the Drin river was under Othoman rule part of the Serbian Church).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHcMso4s0M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMTvfSbS0NI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ9JqQXOXMw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUDK1sTsRFg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpZ-oVob384&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CV3vNEls84&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBKR2oDECw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBKR2oDECw&feature=related

The Eparchy of Lungo and the Eparchy of Piana (the first two videos was taken in one of its parishes, that of Saint Nicholas of Contessa Entellina) uses Greek, Italian and Arberesh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i7KsbEUk1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i7KsbEUk1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhumhwxjods&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agqx1fM0o9U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXPX7hSNICw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPiYjqqNSmI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IigRtpKm27k&feature=relmfu

His Grace Bishop Sotir (Ferrara) of Piana degli Albanesi about the use in the liturgy of both the Greek and Arberesh (in Italian):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wps0q776IU&feature=related

Is the use of Arberesh in the Divine Liturgy something relatively new, or has it been used from way back?

It is my understanding that Abp. Fan Noli's Divine Liturgy in Boston in 1908 was the first instance of the DL in Albanian.

Gospel in Arberesh ("In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country", Luke 1, 39)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsfd0bWbz0&feature=related

I supose that, as in other parts, the vernacular language was used by the priests when preaching and by the choir during the communion chants or after the dismisal. I suppose that gradually the vernacular language was later used as well in devotional (non official) services (hymns to the Mother of God, as that to the Odigitria, hymns for Great Friday. You can find similar things in Greece, where you can listen to the non liturgical hymn for Good Friday Simeron Mavros Ouranos (Moiroloi tis Panagias) in modern Greek during Great Thursday night, when, after the end of the Passion Service, some women remain in the Church for the preparation of the epitaphios. Both Arberesh and Greeks have also Carols ("kalanda" in Greek, form the Latin word "kalandae", or "kalimera" in Arberesh, from the Greek "Kali imera", the usual beginings of some of these carols) for different liturgical feasts (Christmas, Sait Basil the Great, Epiphany, Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday) that are very close to the liturgical poetry. If I am not wrong Greeks in America sing during communion something they call coomunion anthens (different from the hymns found in the liturgical books, I do not know if they do it in Greek or in English). In the same way in Greece in many parishes they sing the Agni Parthene (originally a non liturgical hymn writen by Saint Nektarios of Aegina as a religious poem)during the communion.

Apparently Papa Kristo Negovani (1875 - February 12, 1905) "preached and said mass in Albanian" in Albania before March 1908, when bishop Fan S. Noli "led the first time in Albanian the Orthodox liturgy for the Albanian-American community".



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Kristo_Negovani
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_Orthodox

On about the Liturgical languages, you shall distinct which is the primary language (used in the anaphora and in main payers) from the lateral languages: the readings, the initial litanies and of course the sermon are usually given in the more used language, such as Albanian or Italian (as in the video posted from youtube): this however does not mean that the liturgical language is Albanian or Italian.
In a few time also the Albanian could be used as principal language of the liturgy, but however it is middle-age Albanian (the one still used in south Italy)