I have just finished reading on the 'In Communion' website an article about Archbishop Anastasios and the rebirth of the church in Albania. To me, this man is a living saint and miracle worker based on what he has accomplished in both Africa and now Albania.
As you read the story you can't help but notice the fact that this is what the church is meant to be and what our hierarchy are meant to emulate whether RC, OC, or BC. The story will be 'happy tears' believe me!

Enjoy!
http://www.incommunion.org/incommunion/albania.asp

Wonderful story by our friend Jim Forrest. The Orthodox Peace Fellowship is an ecumencial partner of Pax Christi, to which I belong, and Jim is also a leader of the World Fellowship of Reconciliation, which federates Pax Christi, OPF, and similiar Protestant organizations.

The Archbishop is a wonderful man, former professor at the Unviersity of Athens until the Ecumencial Patriarch appointed him Exarch and then Archbishop of Albania. The Archbishop had some problem when the E.P. sent three Greeks as bishops under him and both the government and some of the 2/3rds of the Church who were ethnic Albanians objected to the Hellenization. No objections were raised as to the Archbishop himself. He worked with the Albanian government to get the E.P. to back down and recall two of the bishops. He and the the other bishops then elected two ethnic Albanians, one as bishop, one as Metropolitan. The Metropolitan, John Belushi, is a cousin of the late American actor of the same name.

Clearly, to this wise bishop, compromise is not a dirty word.


K.

I've found the official site of the Albanian Orthodox Church and it's great:
http://www.orthodoxalbania.org