The Enthronement of the New Metropolitan of Korça, Anastasios

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE NEW METROPOLITAN OF KORÇA, ANASTASIOS

Korçë, September 27, 2025

With great spiritual joy and emotion, today at 11:00 took place the enthronement of His Grace, the new Metropolitan of Korça, Mr. Anastasios, at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Korçë.

The enthronement service was held in the presence of His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, His Eminence Joan, members of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, representatives of local authorities, numerous clergy from across the country and a large number of faithful who filled the church to capacity.

His Grace Anastasios was unanimously elected Metropolitan of Korça by the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, under the leadership of His Beatitude Archbishop Joan, on September 16, 2025. Until his election, His Grace served as Bishop of Kruja and, since December 3 of last year, as Protosyngellos of the Archdiocese of Tirana and Durrës.

In his enthronement address, the new Metropolitan expressed deep gratitude and reverence to God for deeming him worthy of assuming the pastoral responsibility of the holy Metropolis of Korça. “Today I stand before God and before you with an indescribable feeling of gratitude and thankfulness,” he emphasized, stressing that “every enthronement is never a mere human act, but an event of the Church, a new stone placed in the living temple of the Body of Christ.”

The new Metropolitan made extensive reference to the historical and spiritual heritage of Korça, noting that “Korça has often been called ‘the city of light and culture’. Schools were opened here, entire generations of intellectuals were formed here, here culture was united with faith and education with the soul.” He declared: “I am not here to begin from the beginning, but to continue a history with deep roots. I am here to write a new chapter in the long book of faith and love that this Metropolis has written through the centuries.”

With particular emotion, His Grace Anastasios expressed his gratitude to the unforgettable Archbishop Anastasios, “the great restorer of the Church of Albania,” who raised our Church from the ashes of atheistic destruction, and to His Beatitude Archbishop Joan, for continuing this work with vision, love and sacrifice.

Addressing the faithful of the region, Metropolitan Anastasios pledged: “I assure you that I do not come among you to be served, but as a servant. I have not come as a stranger, but as a brother. My desire is that together we may come to know one another more deeply.” He emphasized the need for unity and cooperation: “I cannot fulfill this mission without you. The Church is one body. I invite all of you, clergy and laity, to unite in a new spirit of service. Let us build bridges, not walls.”

Recognizing contemporary challenges such as materialism, relativism and indifference, His Grace pledged to be close to every believer “with sensitivity and justice,” to listen to the voices of the youth, the elderly and families. “The Church must be like a spiritual hospital where everyone finds healing, like a home where everyone finds warmth, like a school where everyone learns the truth,” he stated.

His Beatitude Archbishop Joan, in his greeting, praised the abilities and contribution of the new Metropolitan to the Church of Albania, highlighting his important work in the administration of ecclesiastical property and economic activities since 2017. He pointed to his multifaceted service as Executive Director of the “LOGOS” University Institution and his participation in various ecclesiastical institutions.

His Grace, Metropolitan of Korça, Anastasios (Mamaj), was born in Vlora in 1979. He graduated from the Department of Greek Language at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens, earned a master’s degree in Business Administration and a diploma in Social Theological Studies from “LOGOS” University College. He was ordained deacon in 2018 and priest in 2019 by the late Archbishop Anastasios, was granted the title of Archimandrite in 2020 and was elected Bishop of Kruja in 2024.

The enthronement of Metropolitan Anastasios marks a new era for the historic Metropolis of Korça, with the hope of the continuation and strengthening of the work of spiritual revival and the building of a Christ-centered community.

“KORÇA BOOM”