Prof. Dr. Ylli Popa për Kryepeshkopin Anastas Janullatos

[Iceberg]

Postuar më parë nga Albo


Mos i trego Albos per "Autoqefaline" e Kishes pasi Fan Noli ka patur mbeshtetjen Greke si ne politike edhe ne nismen e tij per Autoqefaline e Kishes, pra Noli nuk ka qene nje "anti-grek" por nje filo-grek pasi ai ka studiuar edhe greqishten e lashte ne shkolle.

I dashur Albo!
1. E keqja me e madhe e shqiptareve nuk ka qene pushtimi Otoman(duke e pranuar njekohesisht se nuk ka sjelle te mira)por Sllavo-Ortodoksizmi qe nga koha e Perandorise Bizantine deri ne ditet e sotme.

2. Te studiosh greqishten a lashte nuk do te thote aspak se je filogrek perkundrazi ne grekerit e lashte fshihen rrenjet ilirodardane(kjo tashme e sugjeruar nga studime serioze)

3. Rreth Fortlumturise se tij ka ose greke ose MONSTRA te tipit Klod qe jane shume me antishqiptare se vete greket(nenkupto helenet)

[Albo]

Postuar më parë nga Iceberg
I dashur Albo!
1. E keqja me e madhe e shqiptareve nuk ka qene pushtimi Otoman(duke e pranuar njekohesisht se nuk ka sjelle te mira)por Sllavo-Ortodoksizmi qe nga koha e Perandorise Bizantine deri ne ditet e sotme.

Iceberg, komenti qe ti ben me lart tregon se sa ti di te vleresosh gjendjen e Shqiperise ne valet e historise. Ke mesuar permendesh shkrimet e Haxhi Qamilit, por une po te them vetem kaq, ne kancelarite europiane Shqiperia nuk njihet si "vendi i tre besimeve", por si delja e zeze e Europes, i vetmi shtet islamik i saj. Islamizmi tek shqiptaret erdhi me pushtuesin otoman, kur greket dhe sllavet jane bere shume here me vone orthodokse se sa shqiptaret. Mjafton tu hedhesh nje sy kishave shqiptare dhe atyre te fqinjeve se kush jane me te vjetrat.

2. Te studiosh greqishten a lashte nuk do te thote aspak se je filogrek perkundrazi ne grekerit e lashte fshihen rrenjet ilirodardane(kjo tashme e sugjeruar nga studime serioze)

Imzot Fan Noli, ne revolucionin e qershorit kish edhe perkrahjen e grekerve, me ardhjen ne pushtet, hapi edhe perfaqesite e para diplomatike ruse ne Tirane. Pse nuk e akuzon edhe Nolin si greko-sllav? Mos u mundo te justifikosh gabimet e Imzot Fan Noli, pasi ai ka kerkuar ndjese vete per to ne vitet e fundit te jetes se tij.

3. Rreth Fortlumturise se tij ka ose greke ose MONSTRA te tipit Klod qe jane shume me antishqiptare se vete greket(nenkupto helenet)

Ik e takoje njehere Kryepeshkopin ose merr pjese ne meshen e tij ne Tirane ku ai psall shqip, dhe pastaj hajde e na hidh ne forum te gjitha akuzat bajate te njerezve anti-shqiptare qe cuditerisht jane nacionaliste te shquar duke i fryre urrejtjes dhe percarjes fetare midis shqiptareve.

Kryepeshkopi nderton KISHA e edukon brezin e ri te klerikeve orthodokse shqiptare, teksa ju jeni shume te zene ta akuzoni e fyeni ate sa here qe u jepet mundesia. Mos harroni nje gje, qe kush akuzon sherbetoret e Zotit ka akuzuar edhe Zotin te cilin ai i sherben.

Fali o Zot se nuk e dine cfare shkruajne!

[dodoni]

Postuar më parë nga Albo
Honeizmi, orthodokset shqiptare mbajne fene e parardhesve te tyre, fene e Gjergj Kastriotit dhe jo fene e pushtuesit. Nuk ishte Greqia qe e pushtoi Shqiperine per 500 vjet por ishin Otomanet qe u luajten fene nga vendi shqiptareve.


Ajo qe me ben mua te qesh eshte fakti se ju kujtoni se keni te drejten morale atdhetare per tu diktuar besimtareve orthodokse, kur ne fakt ju nuk keni asnje te drejte per ta bere kete. Prapambetja Shqiperise nuk i ka ardhur as nga katoliket dhe as nga orthodokset por nga qyteterimi islamik qe trasheguam per 500 vjet. Kjo eshte nje e vertete e hidhur.

Ju shqetesoheni per nje prif me origjine greke ne krye te KOASH por nuk shqetesoheni per ata qindra arabe qe jetojne ne mes te komunitetit islamik ne Shqiperi. Janullatos nuk mban rreth vetes greke apo arabe, por klerike te rinj shqiptare te dale nga komuniteti orthodoks shqiptar.


Une i respektoj keto komunitete pikerisht duke mos bere asnje koment per punen e tyre, jo se nuk kam ndonje gje per te thene, por se e di qe uniteti kombetar i shqiptareve mbahet nga nje fije peri kur vjen fjala tek feja.

Pajtohem me juve për punën e fesë, se ishin turqit ata që islamizuan një pjesë të kombit tonë.
Problemet shqiptare nuk rrjedhin nga islamizimi i një pjese të shqiptarëve, sa nga okupimi 500 vjeçar i turqve dhe ndarja e shqiptarëve në gjashtë shtete.
Ne shqetësohemi për një prift me origjinë greke duke pasur parasysh faktin se edhe Noli shqetësohej për këtë gjë gjithë kohën dhe pikërisht për këtë gjë luftoi me dekada dhe më në fund arriti ta pavarësonte nga ndikimi grek dhe shpëtonte shqiptarët nga helenizimi i dhunshëm i asaj kohe, si dhe duke pasur parasysh faktin se pikërisht prania e tij në krye të kishës po ju jep bazë grekëve për të manipuluar opinionin botëror se kemi minoritet grek, se në Shqipëri ka 400-500 mijë grek, se vorio-epiri është grek etj etj dhe larguar opinionin botëror nga çështja çame dhe e shqiptarëve tjerë në gjithë Greqinë e sotme.
Pra, këto janë arsyet se pse ne po kërkojmë largimin e tij të menjëhershëm nga kisha ortodokse shqiptare.
Sa për punën e arabëve, a ke ndëgjuar ndonjëherë ndonjë vend arab apo edhe Turqinë të thonë se kanë komunitet të tyre në Shqipëri sepse paska shqiptar-islam, këtu e ke përgjigje një Jo të madhe, a janë duke asimiluar popullsinë Jo, a janë duke na nxjerrur probleme me ndërkombëtarët edhe për këtë ke një JO të madhe, pra është krejt tjetër problem, edhe pse pamvarësisht këtyre edhe unë përkrah dhe mbështet largimin e tyre nga Shqipëria sikur përkrah, mbështet dhe kërkoj largimin e grekëve nga kishat ortodokse Shqiptare, nga të cilët pikërisht kemi pasur dhe edhe jemi duke pasur gjithë kohën probleme.
Prandaj edhe njëherë, përkrahja dhe mbështetja e tij është një antishqiptarizëm i kulluar.
Rrofshin vëllëzërit Shqiptaro-ortodoks se shumë shpejt do të dijnë tia tregojnë rrugën për nga ka ardhur atij bastardi.

[Iceberg]

Postuar më parë nga Albo
Iceberg, komenti qe ti ben me lart tregon se sa ti di te vleresosh gjendjen e Shqiperise ne valet e historise. Ke mesuar permendesh shkrimet e Haxhi Qamilit, por une po te them vetem kaq, ne kancelarite europiane Shqiperia nuk njihet si "vendi i tre besimeve", por si delja e zeze e Europes, i vetmi shtet islamik i saj.



Imzot Fan Noli, ne revolucionin e qershorit kish edhe perkrahjen e grekerve, me ardhjen ne pushtet, hapi edhe perfaqesite e para diplomatike ruse ne Tirane. Pse nuk e akuzon edhe Nolin si greko-sllav? Mos u mundo te justifikosh gabimet e Imzot Fan Noli, pasi ai ka kerkuar ndjese vete per to ne vitet e fundit te jetes se tij.

Albo!
1. Ke pasaktesi elementare ne pergjigjen tende. Shqiperia pavaresisht shumices muslimane nuk eshte shtet islamik por shtet LAIK (ku feja eshte e ndare nga shteti). Megjithate per te mbeshtetur argumentin tim eshte Anastasi qe ka futur hundet ne politiken shqiptare duke marre pjese ne Komisionin e hartimit te Kushtetutes se vitit 98, dhe as Rrok Mirdita apo Sabri Koci.

2. Noli kur erdhi ne pushtet me revolucion ne 24-en erdhi ne pushtet jo me ndihmen e grekerve po me ndihmen majtisteve ruso-sllave. Ti kur ke permendur Nolin ke thene qe ai eshte filogrek pasi ka studiuar greqisht (dhe ky eshte nje tjeter gabim foshnjarak) Revolucioni i 24 es eshte kontekstit te temes qe po diskutonim. Megjithate nese ai gaboi rende me revolucionin ne fjale qe ju me te drejte thoni qe eshte penduar edhe vete, kjo nuk te jep ty te drejten te shkelesh me te dy kembet kontributin qe ai ka dhene me ndarjen e Kishes Shqiptare nga Kisha Greke. Meshtetja qe Ortodokset shqiptare i japin Janullatusit duhet ti beje ata te skuqen para ketij kolosi te madh shqiptar.

[Albo]

Nejse, u zgjatem por eshte mire qe keto gjera te debatohen dhe jo ne frymen e urrejtjes dhe percarjes por ne frymen e respektit te ndersjellte dhe mirkuptimit per te miren e mbare shoqerise shqiptare.

Ka qene deshira ime qe te shkruaj gjate per rolin e fese ne shoqerine shqiptare pasi shume pak shkruhet per te ne media dhe publicistiken shqiptare. Asgje nuk arrihet duke sulmuar krere institucionesh ose duke sulmuar doktrinat e ndryshme fetare qe shqiptaret besojne, pervecse percarjes dhe rritjes se hendekut midis komuniteteve fetare.

Pavaresisht se shume njerez mundohen ti hedhin benzine percarjes fetare duke sulmuar komunitete te vecanta, realiteti shqiptar eshte i tille qe te kater komunitetet fetare ne Shqiperi jane ne harmoni dhe bashkejetese te plote me njera-tjetren. Ligeshtia dhe urrejtja perhapet nga pena e njerezve te pa fe qe nuk i perkasin asnje komuniteti fetar.

Feja eshte thembra e Akilit e unitetit kombetar shqiptar dhe nuk duhet lejuar askush te luaje me zjarrin. Cdo shqiptar eshte i lire te besoje ne ate fe dhe ne ate Zot qe i pelqen dhe nuk duhet nderhyre ne asnje menyre ne punet e komuniteteve fetare ne Shqiperi, qofshin orthodokse, islamike, katolike apo bektashij.

Vetem me fene qe nuk mund te behet shaka dhe as politike pasi feja eshte guri i themelit te cdo qyteterimi jo vetem ne Shqiperi por ne mbare boten.

[dodoni]

[QUOTE]Postuar më parë nga Albo

Pavaresisht se shume njerez mundohen ti hedhin benzine percarjes fetare duke sulmuar komunitete te vecanta, realiteti shqiptar eshte i tille qe te kater komunitetet fetare ne Shqiperi jane ne harmoni dhe bashkejetese te plote me njera-tjetren. Ligeshtia dhe urrejtja perhapet nga pena e njerezve te pa fe qe nuk i perkasin asnje komuniteti fetar.

[/B][/QUOTE


Askushu nuk është duke sulmuar komunitete fetare ashtu siç ju mundoheni ta paraqitni qëllimshëm, dhe askush nuk është duke sulmuar krerët shqiptarë të institucioneve fetare, por ne jemi duke sulmuar vetëm kreun e kishës shqiptaro-ortodokse sepse ai është grek e jo shqiptar duke pasur parasysh faktin se sa problemet po i rrjedhin shoqërisë shqiptare nga prania e tij në krye të kishës shqiptaro-ortodokse, si dhe duke pasur parasysh faktin se ai i përket një kombi që ka asimiluar dhunshëm me miliona shqiptarë dhe që ende nuk u ka dhënë të drejtat kombëtare shqiptarëve atje si në Çamëri e viset tjera atje.
Nuk ka rëndësi përkatësia fetare apo mënyra e besimit në Zot e atyre që shkruajnë për problemet e ndryshme shqiptare, ka rëndësi mënyra e zgjidhjes së problemit që ofrojnë ata, dhe nëse është kontribuese atëhere edhe duhet falenderuar dhe jo ofenduar ashtu siç bëni juve, nga mungesa e mirënjohjes apo më shumë do të kisha thënë nga antishqiptaria juaj në përkrahjen e mbështetjen që po i bëni atij bastardi.
Rrofshin vëllëzërit shqiptaro-ortodoks se shumë shpejt do të dijnë tia tregojnë rrugën atij bastardit nga ka ardhur.

[Iceberg]

NATIONAL AWAKENING PROCESS AMONG ORTHODOX ALBANIANS
Nexhmedin Spahiu
Under the Shadow of Greek Nationalism
In his book, "The Greek Nation 1453-1669," Greek historian, Apostolos E. Vacalopoulos [01], quoted what Belon [02] has written:

"The Albanians formerly called Epirots are Christians and speak a language that differs from Greek. It is true that they practice the Greek religion: more especially as they are in Greece, they also know a Greek language."

Trying to argue that everyone who belonged to the Orthodox faith in fact belonged to the Greek "nation" the above cited author went so far as to claim the opposite of what Belon noted, that is: Epirots are Greeks. Vacalopoulos quoted another Greek author [03] who wrote: "In Turkey the Epirots used to be called Albanians because they knew the Albanian language.", and added his comment on that:

"We have to bear in mind the confusion that has surrounded the words ‘Albanian’ and ‘Epirote’ even in recent years to reach the reasonable conclusion that ‘laborers’ as they were called were in fact Greeks from Northern Epirus [present day South Albania, author’s remark]. If the Epirots provoked other Greeks [with this ‘other Greeks’ Vacalopoulos want to say that name Epirot is just provincial name for ‘northern’ Greeks, author’s remark] they might also be called "Albanians because, to the Greek, that was an expression of contempt. Apparently this confusion also existed in ancient times"[04].

I am quoting this Greek historian to show the arrogance of what he tries, even in modern time, to refute the facts that are easily accessible. First of all, ancient Epirots were Illyrians and not Greeks [05]. But even if we take into account, for the moment, that whole ancient history is disputable, one thing is not disputable, (because the fact is reachable by many sources,) that is the fact that present day southern Albania and a large part of present day northern Greece have been mainly inhabited by Albanians during the whole Ottoman rule in the Balkans [06]. Vacalopoulos did not try to argue any drastic replacement of the population in Epirus during that time (1453-1669), but he tries to convince the reader that Epirots simply are Greeks, because they inhabit the Epirus, and Epirus belonged to Greece! For Vacalopoulos it is an unknown fact that those Epirots fought under the flag of Skënderbeg (1403-1468) against the Ottomans, and many of them, after the death of Skënderbeg, migrated to Calabria and Sicily, and still speak Albanian today. How can we consider them Greeks if they continuously, from that time until now, called and call themselves Albanians and their language Albanian?! Moreover, it is true that in that time some Albanian scholars and high nobility used to called their people by the ancient names, that is Epirots and/or Macedonians[07]. Even, the Albanian national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti- Skënderbeu considered himself a direct descendent of both: the ancient Epirot King Pyrro and the ancient Macedonian ruler, Alexander the Great [08]. But, Vacalopoulos did not go so far as to claim that Skënderbeg must also be Greek.

Vacalopoulos’s blindness as a historian is not limited only to the matter of ethnicity and/or nationality. Ottoman rule for him is a misfortune mostly for the Greeks. He forgets that, in truth, being promoted by the Ottomans, the Greeks gained the hegemony over the other Orthodox peoples in the Ottoman Empire. Probably he does not know that "his" Epirots who emigrated to Sicily and Calabria after the death of Skënderbeg, since they never experienced Ottoman rule, had the Albanian as the liturgical language in their Orthodox churches [09]. The other arguments we will see later in this paper.

Such a will to describe things not as they are but as he would like to be is amazing. But, having in mind the circumstances under which Orthodox Albanian identity has been crystallized, which I will try to explain in this paper, the reader may conclude that Vacalopoulos’s book is a clear example of Greek nationalist ideology unchanged from the beginning of the Greek national rebirth up to today. Probably, the above facts, by which I began this essay, look like a digression from my main intention to describe the process of national awakening among Orthodox Albanians, but indeed it is helpful illustration of circumstances under which this process occurred.

Prior to addressing the national awakening process among Orthodox Albanians, in which process the struggle for the creation and recognition of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church was the dominant part, it is useful to outline the Christian background among Albanians.

Christian Background among Albanians

Albanian Christianity originates from apostolic preaching in the first centuries after Christ [10]. The Albanians were not a very religious people, but the Christian culture was a distinct part of their identity during the barbarian migrations and afterwards, during the Slavic migration. After the christianization of the Slavs, Islam increasingly distinguished the Albanians from the neighboring Christian Slavs and Greeks.

After a thousand years of struggle between Rome and Constantinople for priority in Albania the result was fifty-fifty. But the favored status of the Ecumenical Patriarchiate of Constantinople (Istanbul) in the Ottoman Empire created some Orthodox advantages against the Catholics in the northern part of Albania. Nevertheless, these advantages had a short life. At the end of eighteen century, the Russian - Ottoman war provoked Ottoman reaction against Orthodoxy in Southern Albania. Then the Islamic pressure increased and a large number of Albanian Orthodox became Muslims.

What percentage of population among Albanians represented the Orthodox community during the Ottoman rule in Balkans, is very hard to determined precisely. Probably, the reliable documents come only after the formation of the Albanian Kingdom. The census of 1937, made by the Albanian Government shows that 212.233 Albanians belonged to Orthodoxy, which means 20.4 % of Albanian population at that time [11]. It was the second largest religious community in Albania, spread in Southern Albania, mainly in Korça and Gjirokastra, but also in Vlora and Berat. In smallest numbers the Orthodox population was present in Central Albania, too, in Tirana, Durrës and Elbasan [12].

Under Double Rule

The Greek's domination over the Orthodoxy in the Ottoman Empire is related to the system of Millets that is the system of organizations of non-Muslim communities, which was autonomous concerning the essential aspects of civil life. The most important Millet was the Orthodox Community led by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was Greek by an unwritten rule.

Ottoman rulers denied the recognition of the different ethnic groups, because they thought that only religion distinguished one community from another. This was a good chance for Greeks to restore their domination over the other Orthodox peoples under the Ottoman Empire. The Patriarchate of Constantinople raised its power regarding the Ottoman Porte, because it had not only the jurisdiction over all Orthodox people concerning the religious aspects which Patriarchate had during the Byzantine Empire, but its jurisdiction included also civil aspects over the same population. The policy of the Patriarchate privileged the Greek element continuously. In all regions populated with Orthodox believers in the Ottoman Empire, the high clergy were Greek. Greek was the official liturgical language, too. All administrative acts concerning the civil affairs dealing with the church were written in the Greek language. All citizenship organizations of Orthodox Millet were based on the Greek culture. All teachers and officers concerning the Orthodox Millet were educated in Athos or in other Greek centers of culture.

After the independence of Greece we came to the new situation. The Patriarchate of Constantinople was split between the loyalty to the Ottoman Porte, which was the source of its power, and sympathy for Greek nationalism. Soon after independence, Greece began to hellenize the Orthodox population around its borders. Albanian Orthodox, had already undergone the hellenization promoted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Now they were under double pressure.

As previously mentioned, Greek nationalism considered all the peoples belonging to the Orthodox Millet as Greek. Moreover, in the Albanian case, Athens had claimed that southern Albania, inhabited by the Orthodox population, was in fact the northern part of Epirus, which was considered simply Hellenic (and which continue to be considered still to today by the official Greek historiography, as we saw above). The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1872 formed a "Cultural Association" [13] in order to spread the use of the Greek language in Epirus. This was a largely enforced process. An illustration of it is the number of schools in 1878 in the districts of Vlora, Berat and Gjirokastra (all of these inhabited over 70 % by Albanian Muslim population) where were no any Albanian school, 80 Turkish schools and 163 Greek schools [14]. In true, in the period of the Tanzimat reforms, the principle had been recognized that elementary education should be in the national languages. In the Albanian inhabited areas, however, the millet system was preserved [15]. This misfortune was a subsequent event of another Albanian tragedy in that time: the Massacre of Monastir (present day Macedonian town of Bitola).

In 1830, in order to secure the Empire from any eventual Albanian revolution, similar to the Greek and/or Serbian ones, which occurred a few years earlier, Ottoman authorities invited to Monastir five hundred members of the Albanian elite, allegedly for a meeting and killed all of them. Almost the whole Albanian elite was annihilated [16]. Thus, the Muslim students had to go to Turkish-Islamic institutions and the Orthodox in Greek schools, whereas the Catholics were instructed in Italian, but with some classes in Albanian.

The Greek schools in Albania, after the independence of Greece, were organized and furnished with new personnel, programs and school books from the new Hellenic state [17]. History and literature that was learned in these schools, indoctrinated the pupils with Hellenic chauvinism toward the Muslims, the term which was used by them as a synonym for Turks. Albanian Muslims were considered by them not as Albanians, but only as Muslims, i.e. Turks or sometimes ‘Turkoalvanoi’ (‘Turcoalbanians’). The fact that there were Catholic Albanians in Northern Albania was irrelevant for the Greeks, because this part was so far from their imagined future borders of the Hellenic state.

Diaspora Orthodox Albanians in the Period of Albanian National Rebirth

The Albanian National Rebirth included the Albanian Orthodox population as well. Orthodox Albanians participated in Albanian National Rebirth mainly through Diaspora communities, especially in Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt and America, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople did not have such influence as in the homeland.

The most untouched (from the Patriarchate influence) Albanian Diaspora was the one that was created in Calabria and Sicily after the death of Skënderbeg (1468). As it mentioned above, this Diaspora preserved Albanian as the language of the Orthodox liturgy and in 1794, in San Demetrio Corone in Calabria a college was opened where all classes were in Albanian. Through this Diaspora the Albanian Rebirth was represented with plenty of poets and writers from both Albanian religious communities there (Orthodox and Catholic).

The most distinguished personality from the Orthodox Albanian Diaspora in Calabria and Sicily was without any doubt Jeronim De Rada (1814-1903), a poet who published more than fifteen books and, whose epic poem "Skënderbeg" (1866) was translated into several languages and found admires in Lamartine and Mistral [18]. From 1836 he published the journal "Flamuri i Arberit" ("The Albanian Flag") and was in permanent contact with the Albanian Muslim elite in Istanbul [19] and, also, the Romanian Princess, Dora D’Istria (1828-1888), who had Albanian origin (her original name was Elena Gjika) [20].

If we speak about this Diaspora, we can not avoid mentioning Dhimiter Kamarda (1821-1882) who in 1864 published an essay [21] on the Albanian language tracing its history back to antiquity, which attracted great interest among foreign scholars. Of course, both of them, De Rada and Kamarda, were the followers of many others Orthodox Albanian awakeners (Gavril Dara the Senior, Leonardo De Martini, Francesko Krispi etc.) and were followed by many others up to today (Gavril Dara the Junior, Kate Xuvako, etc.).

Nevertheless, if we take into account the fact that the Orthodox Albanian Diaspora in Calabria and Sicily was an old Diaspora and disconnected with the Homeland (which is, as we have seen above, not completely true), then the first Orthodox Albanian national awakener could be considered Naum Veqilharxhi (1797-1854). He was born in Korça and emigrated to Bucharest where he took part in Tudor Vladimirescu’s revolution (1821) [22]. He formed in Bucharest an "Albanian Cultural Association" (1850) and published in two editions Albanian Alphabetaria using the Latin letters a bit different from those which were used by Albanian Catholic priests from medieval time (at least from the year 1332 [23]) up to that time. Encouraged by his compatriot’s zeal to accept his text-books he decided to return to Albania. However, in Albania, it was not easy for an Orthodox to involve himself in the National Movement. Albanian Orthodox community in the homeland was partly absorbed by Hellenic culture being faithful to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which was in solidarity with Hellenic tendencies for assimilation. Naum Veqilharxhi soon was anathematized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople after which his house was burned twice (1852, 1853). Finally he was murdered by the agents of Athens [24].

Another distinguished Orthodox Albanian national awakener was Konstantin Kristoforidhi (1830-1895) born in Elbasan (a town on both sides of the river Shkumbin, which is the division line between two Albanian dialects). He was educated in England and tried to unify Albanian dialects into a single one. He published a novel written in both Albanian dialects [25] and translated some religious texts from the Greek language. At that time he lived in Istanbul where he got into trouble with both: the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Ottoman authorities. The later did it to please only the former.

Two other Orthodox Albanian awakeners, both poets, are worth mentioning in this paper: Andon Zako - Çajupi (1866- 1930) and Aleksander Stavre Drenova - Asdreni (1872- 1945).

Çajupi lived in Egypt and Switzerland and published more than ten books widely criticizing Albanian primitive customs, especially those dealing with gender. Otherwise, in his poems the heroism of Alexander the Great, Pyrrus and Skënderbeg, were the subject by which he invoked Albanians to fight the Turks who "enslaved us and destroyed our civilization and culture," prescribing that all Albanian primitive customs were brought from Turks and Greek clergy, too. In Istanbul, he met Naim Frashëri who was the leading Albanian poet at that time, and who suggested to him to write the poem "Baba Tomori" ("Our Father Tomor") which would be Çajupi’s greatest work [26]. In fact, the mountain Tomori in southern Albania was proclaimed as a Holy place for the Muslim sect Bektashi (to which the Frashëri family belonged) mainly represented by the Albanians from south and central Albania (world headquarters for this sect was the central Albanian town, Kruja). In "Baba Tomori", Çajupi considered Tomori as an Albanian Olympus, that is, the place of the Albanian God. Probably, this was an attempt to unify the Albanian nation through a new religion as a mixture of Islam and Christianity. Of course, in "Baba Tomori," there is no explicit indication of it, but the coincidence with the mountain Tomori, and fact that this poem was written following the Naim Frashëri’s suggestion lead us to think so.

A lyric poet like Çajupi, Asdreni lived in Bucharest where he published four volumes of poetry. Unlike Çajupi and other Albanian poets, Asdreni was less religious. A large number of his writing include patriotic and erotic poems, but, also, there are a considerable number of anti-dogmatic and especially anti-clerical poems. He was included in political life as well. When the Albanian patriots led by Ismail Qemali (1844- 1919) were gathered in Bucharest to decide on the proclamation of the Albanian independency, Asdreni was the secretary of the meeting. Later, after the creation of the Albanian state, he was the permanent Albanian ambassador to Romania. [27].

Orthodox Albanian Awakeners in the Homeland

Following his Catholic compatriot from Shkodra, Zef Jubani (1818-1880) who had published a "Collection of Popular Songs and Albanian Rhapsodies", an Orthodox Albanian from Korça, Thimi Mitko (1820-1890), produced Collected Songs and Proverbs of South Albania under the title of "Albanian Bee."

As it was mentioned before, acting in the Homeland from the positions of the Albanian national awakening was a hard job and risky. Unfortunately, the case of Naum Veqilharxhi would not remain a single one. The Orthodox Albanian priest and poet Papa Kristo Negovani was killed by Greek andartes in an ambush [28] soon after he began to preach about the need for the schools in Albanian language.

Nevertheless, some schools were conducted secretly. In 1887 the first officially authorized institution, a private school in Korça was opened. Others followed, but they were soon suppressed by the Ottoman officials. In 1902 the Korça’s school similarly closed the doors [29].

After the above described events, further Orthodox Albanian Awakeners in the Homeland might be found only in kaçaks as it was the case of Mihal Grameno, an Albanian writer, who, while being in the Albanian mountains wrote three novels and illegally published them in Korça. Through the novels titled: "Vdekja e Piros, Mbret I Epirit" ("The Death of Pyrrus, King of Epirus"), "Mallkimi i Kishës" ("The Curse of Church") and "Oxhaku" ("The Householder"), Grameno showed the reality of life of the Orthodox Albanian population facing more problems with Greeks than with Turks [30].

The following event represent the culmination of hostility between Orthodox Albanians and Greeks. Petro Nini Luarasi, an Albanian Orthodox priest and poet was shot by Greeks soon after he had baptized his son with the name Skënder in the memory of Albanian National Hero, Skënderbeg. The shooting of Petro Nini Luarasi provoked large irritation among Albanians such the Orthodox Albanians in the USA, in revenge, began to kill innocent Greeks there.

Albanian Orthodox Church in America

Orthodox Albanians from Diaspora understood that the creation of an Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church was necessary to avoid Hellenic influence over the Albanian Orthodoxy. The affirmation of church autocephaly, as an alliance between religion and homeland, was already realized in many others Balkans countries. In Albania, this was more specific; Orthodoxy was not the religion of the majority and, as a consequence it could not be a factor of unity and national identity as in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria or Romania, but an Autonomous Albanian Orthodox church would help as well, in the sense of national identity.

The first effort in this sense occurred in Romania. Unfortunately, in this case Albanian patriots failed, but they succeeded few years later in the United States, where they established one Albanian Orthodox Church.

The first liturgy in America in the Albanian language was held on March 22, 1908, in Boston [31]. One incident preceded this historical event. One young Albanian had died in Hudson, Massachusetts, in 1907, and the local Greek priest refused to do the last rites for him because the young Albanian was known as an Albanian nationalist. To be considered as an Albanian nationalist by the Greek Church at that time meant to be considered a non-believer. In neighboring places there was no other Orthodox priest and the young Albanian had to be buried without last rites. Indignant Orthodox Albanians from Massachusetts decided to have their own priest. In a short time, one of them, Fan Stilian Noli, was inaugurated as a priest by the Russian archbishop of New York (Greek clerics already had refused to do it). Fan Noli dedicated his time to translate the liturgy from Greek into Albanian. In Albanian circles he propagated the idea of separation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Orthodox Population in the New Albanian State

After the Albanian state independence, which was proclaimed on November 28, 1912, and recognized some months later, the problem of Greek influence was still present in southern Albania. Moreover, just some days before the proclamation of state independence in Vlora, the Greek army occupied all the places southern of Vlora, aiming at annexation.

The developments in the Orthodox Community in the independent Albania consisted of the tendency for the creation of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. At the beginning, the struggle had an internal character among the Orthodox Albanians, then later, the Albanian Orthodox believers experienced hostility from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. These hostilities ceased only in 1937 when the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople accorded Tomos of recognition to the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Before they achieved this goal, Albanian Orthodox believers had a difficult path.

Out of the Ottoman Millet system, the Greeks had less chance to represent all Orthodox Albanians as Greeks, but they pressured Orthodox Albanians aspirations and obstructed the Albanian fragile state through the Greek minority in Albania, which was recognized as a minority by the Albanian state, as well. The figures about the size of this minority, has always been contested. On the other side, after many centuries of influence of Greek culture and mixing of population, it was difficult to drown the demarcation line between ethnic groups. The Albanian Government preferred to use the term "Greecophone population" instead of "Greek minority," as we can see from the correspondence to the organs of the League of Nations concerning the minority rights [32]. The estimates for this hellenized Albanian population or even for the Greek minority in Albania varied from 16,000 and 37,271 given by the Albanian Government in 1922 and 1937 [33], and later 26,535 given by the communist government in 1945, to some hundred thousands claimed by Athens Government, meaning that almost all Orthodox Albanians are Greeks [34].

After the relative political consolidation of the Albanian state in 1920, national feelings among the Orthodox Albanians had increased. The role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was contested more slowly than the role of Athens. Nevertheless, the decisions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople were not only spiritual, but political too, because the Patriarchate continued to insist on Greek culture and language as a matter of liturgical services. The use of the Albanian language in the Church was strongly prohibited, and the priests who did it, were anathematized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In order to be sure in this sense, in Albanian dioceses, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ordained exclusively Greek bishops.

Initiatives for the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church

In 1919, the Albanian Orthodox community in Boston, led by Fan Stilian Noli, decided to create the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Fan Stilian Noli was ordained as bishop and its Primate. Noli went to Albania in order to affirm this proclamation and made it more official. At the beginning, Christian circles were relatively hostile to this step [35]. Fan Stilian Noli was only applauded by the assembly of his compatriots in Boston, and not ordained by other bishops as it was required by the canonical rules. Russian prelates in the United States had promised him that they would ordain him. In the end, the Russian archbishop of New York, Pluton, the same who ordained Fan Noli as a priest, appointed July 26, 1919, as the date to ordain Fan Noli as a bishop. The archbishop did not come on the appointed day, nevertheless, the indignant Albanian masses proclaimed Fan Noli as a bishop. As a consequence this decision was not proper by canonical viewpoint.

Albanian Orthodox Church in Homeland

For Orthodox Albanians in the Homeland it was not so clear why Noli insisted on reforms of Albanian Orthodoxy. His struggle for an Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church originates from his viewpoint of a strong connection between patriotism and religion and not from the any kind of theological or canonical preference. Fan Noli viewed a strong connection between the religion and politics [36]. He was born in Thraka, from Diaspora Albanians, and had studied and worked in Greece and Egypt. Later he went to the United States, where he found the money to study at Harvard. He was a polyglot, excellent translator, excellent poet, and nationalist as well. From June to December 1924 he was the Prime Minister of Albania. He was elected as Prime Minister by chance [37] after a coup d’etat and was removed in the same way by the future King of Albania, Ahmet Zogu. Fan Noli was a disputable character. Not only his clerical career, but also his religiosity were considered disputable [38]. This is the product of atmosphere created by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople among Orthodox Albanians and, probably, the matter of jealousy, because of his high level of education.

In order to achieve his aim Noli and his supporters required Albanian government support, which they got. There is no need to explain the advantages of Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. We can list two main reasons. One is the restriction of the possibilities of Greeks to intervene in Albanian political life and the second one is the ceasing of the risk of annexation of South Albania by Greece. In 1921, some Orthodox bishops, Greeks or philo-Greeks, were expelled from Albania accused of anti-Albanian propaganda.

The Congress of Berat and Reactions

In September 1922, in Berat, the Orthodox Congress proclaimed the Independence of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, preserving for itself the right to ordain its own bishops and the use of the Albanian language as liturgical language [39]. The Albanian Government ordered that every Albanian town must celebrate this event. At the beginning it was seen as a big victory of Albanian patriotism, but this was not so for a long time. On the contrary, the Congress of Berat was the beginning of the period of deep crisis in Albanian Orthodoxy.

Greek or philo-Greek bishops expelled from Albanian dioceses reacted strongly and denounced the Congress of Berat as a violation of canonical rules. Bishop Vasilios, expelled one year before from Gjirokastra wrote to the League of Nation as follows:

"Muslim town-clerks have organized in Berat a congress of lay Orthodox in order to create an Autocephalous Church faithful to the Albanian Muslim State. (...). The Albanian Government insist on the use of the Albanian language in liturgy. As you probably know, the Albanian language is too primitive, so that, it is not in use even in Muslim mosques. (...)" [40].

The Patriarchate of Constantinople in the beginning had a moderate attitude toward the question of the Albanian church. Albania was the only Balkan state without an autocephalous church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was ready to accept a kind of Autonomy of the Albanian church, but not the autocephaly. As a rule, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople continuously had denied the phenomenon of autocephaly. But in Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarchate tried to approach the problem in a diplomatic way. This diplomatic approach consisted of a compromise which resulted from the desire to have the influence over the Albanian Orthodoxy and fear from Albanian movement toward autocephaly. The resolute attitude in favor of that movement was also the factor of moderation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The situation of Albanian movement for Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church was not better than the Patriarchate’s position. Only the Synod of bishops could declare the autocephaly of a church and require the Tomos of recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (for autonomy it would be sufficient an assembly of ordinary clerics). But the Congress of Berat was principally a lay meeting. This violation of canonical rules was not acceptable for a huge part of Albanian Orthodoxy. These people were not satisfied with the fact that the State supported the Congress of Berat. More educated people understood the ideological fragility of new church which had not needed qualified personnel. Even more, the translation of liturgical texts made by Fan Noli were more poetic than correct [41], probably, aiming for some distinctions from the Greek original [42].

The role of nationalism in the Albanian movement for independent church was overestimated by Albanian historians. Nevertheless, there is some truth in it. The following report, whose author was a British diplomat in Albania, is meaningful.

"Among the Albanian Orthodox population just a few of them are hellenists who openly support Greek annexation of South Albania. Most of them, although they have not pro-Hellenic aspirations in the sense of joining with Greece, in the case of religion, they are satisfied with their actual position. They do not want to turn down the centuries rule by which the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople had control over the Orthodox church through the bishops and other personnel appointed by it. Moreover, many of the Albanian nationalists with the Orthodox religion, understanding the practical problems in the Albanian Orthodox church, are against the autocephaly. However, the reformers, neglecting the fact that the majority of believers do not sympathize with their aims, started a strong campaign in favor of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church, and, being a loquacious minority which oppose an apathetic majority, they realized their aims. (...)" [43].

Among many of the impediments to the partisans of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church, there was also an objective one. One of the conditions for one church to be recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as an Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church, was that: the Orthodox population in that country must be in the majority [44]. This could not possibly be satisfied in the Albanian case.

Some month after the Congress of Berat, the practical problems surpassed the, so to say, doctrinal problems. This was the problem of those Orthodox in Albania who considered themselves non-Albanians. Now, they demanded foreign defenders. Within this non-Albanian Orthodox population were: Greek minority, which figures was mention above, Vlach minority (between 25,000 and 40,000 persons), Bulgarian and/or Macedonian minority (between 5,000 and 15,000 persons) and Serbian and/or Montenegrin minority (about 5,000 persons). Based on the convention of the League of Nations for the protection of minority rights, which Albania already signed, the Albanian government had to supply minorities with the priests of their ethnicity. In fact, one month before the Congress of Berat, Visarion Xhuvani, archimandrite of Durrës, was assured by the Government in Tirana, that the Serbian bishop for the Slav minority in Shkodra would be ordained. Visarion Xhuvani had foreseen the problems after the Congress that was going to be held in Berat, and wanted to guarantee the possibility of ordaination as the head of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Through the Serbian bishop, Visarion Xhuvani hoped to build one canonically acceptable hierarchy for the new church. After the Congress of Berat, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople encouraged Autocephalous Churches of Greece, Serbia and Romania to demand the presence of their bishops in Albania. The government authorities in Tirana were afraid from such a situation. For them, in that case, it would have been worse than before, because not only Greek bishops had to return to Albania, but they would have also Serbian and Romanian bishops in Albania. The Albanian government authorities decided to make a compromise. They took into the consideration to convoke another Congress of Albanian Orthodoxy to revoke the decisions of the Congress of Berat.

The status of Albanian Orthodox Church remained undecided also for some years after. In November 1923, Fan Noli succeeded to be ordained as bishop by two Greek bishops of Albanian origin: Jeroteosi and Kristofor Kisi. Both Greek bishops were sent by Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to observe the situation in Albania in order to find a solution. They also had sympathy toward the movement for Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Both "Patriarchal visitors" had got the position of the head of certain Albanian dioceses; Jeroteosi in Korça, and Kisi in Berat. This was considered anti-canonical by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinopole. However, two prelates, known to be honest, were well educated and graduated in theology in Constantinople. They gave to the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church doctrinal guarantee, which this church desperately needed.

After he was ordained as bishop, Fan Noli proclaimed himself as Metropolitan of Durrës and Tirana and of the whole Albania. Although they ordained Fan Noli as bishop, Jeroteosi and Kristofor Kisi did not follow Fan Noli in his struggle for Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Fan Noli was an impulsive patriot and perhaps a revolutionary man. For a long time, Jeroteosi and Kristofor Kisi were quite distant from the conflicts about the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church.

An Orthodox Albanian Bishop as the Albanian Prime Minister

On June 26, 1924, after a coup d’etat, among three candidates, Fan Noli was chosen by cast (fortune) [45] the Prime Minister of Albania. Unfortunately, despite the fact that he was a graduate of Harvard, polyglot, excellent poet, excellent translator, excellent orator and patriot as well, he failed in politics. He failed in making public relations with ignorant Albanian people and in foreign policy, as well. Benitto Mussolini offered him one secret treaty and he naively made it public [46]. After this event all Western Powers had no wish to contact with his government and Lenin’s Soviet Union was the only state which had to cooperate with the Fan Noli’s Government. As a conseguence, Albania became the first state which recognized the Soviet Union. This fatal decision was used by Ahmet Zogu, who through Belgrade support and foreign forces (approved by Britain and France) expelled Fan Noli from Albania on December 24, 1924,. Soon after, Ahmet Zogu appointed himself as President of Albania, established political situation in the whole country, and on September 1, 1928, became the King of Albanians.

The Albanian King and his Struggle for the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church

The seat of the Metropolitan of Albania, which was emptied after Fan Noli left the country, was taken by Visarion Xhuvani on the Catholic Christmas (December 25, 1924). Before this event, his ordaination as a bishop was refused by Kristofor Kisi and Jeroteosi, but nevertheless he had the opportunity to be ordained as bishop by two Serbian bishops. At this point, the situation of Albanian Orthodox Church worsened, as Visarion Xhuvani was known as a sworn enemy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Ironically enough, what a Harvard educated Albanian Orthodox, Fan Noli did not succeeded in doing, an Istanbul educated and western oriented Albanian Muslim, Ahmet Zogu, who at the same time was his sworn enemy, succeeded. Zogu simply made the Albanian state more lay, restricting enough the space for religious communities and their institutions. The Constitution of September 1,1928, and the Civil and Penal Code of that time assigned historical turn in the life of the Albanian Orthodox Church (and, of course, not less in the Albanian Catholic and Muslim Community.) Amazingly, this dramatic change in the Albanian society and new attitudes toward the religious institutions was not accompanied by any protest. Also, Decree of July 16, 1929, concerning the official creation of the Religious communities, was accepted by the Albanian Orthodoxy without any complaints. At that time, the Albanian Orthodox community was divided in two groups: "national" and "patriarchal." Both groups desperately needed King Zogu’s sympathy on their side. Both sides, "national" and "patriarchal," wanted from the King, at least, not to speak openly in favor of the opposite side. None of these sides had such courage to criticize the King’s initiatives, which have been considered as a second category of importance comparing with the question of relation with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

At that time the question of Uniatism was actualized. It happened that some Orthodox priests became converted to the Catholic religion. Orthodox clerics were corrupted enough and from time to time they were attracted by the Catholic Church beneficiaries. Furthermore, to a liturgical traditional church, as the Orthodox Church was, Uniate formula for retaining of Greeko-Byzantine rites was effective because it permitted the transition to the Catholic Church without traumas.

Alarmed by the voices which insisted on Uniatism, and by the risk of division among Albanian Orthodoxy, in 1929, King Zogu decided to declare once again the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church in such a way so that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople would be forced to recognize it. Some careless declarations of Greek representative in Tirana accelerated this initiative. A Greek diplomat, suspicious of that Italy was behind the movement for the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church, had a wrong idea to connect the question of church with the question of the properties of Albanian landowners in Greece which had been confiscated by Greek government. He said: "Any kind of offense against Ecumenical Patriarchate will have repercussions for the compensation to the Albanians for their confiscated lands and properties in Greece". Deep indignation, caused by the above declaration, created the ideal atmosphere for the final proclamation of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. For this step, a Synod of four bishops was needed. In Albania there was only one bishop in disposition for such a task, Visarion Xhuvani (Fan Noli was in emigration at that time, as one of the leaders of King Zogu’s opposition). To ordain another three bishops two prelates, were needed. The Government in Tirana promised to the Serbian bishop Viktor that he would be legalized as a Serbian bishop, if he accepted to ordain (together with Visarion Xhuvani) three new Albanian bishops. They did it on February 12, 1929.

Repeated Proclamation of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church

On February 18, 1929, a Synod of Albanian Bishops (Visarion Xhuvani and three newly ordained bishops) proclaimed the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. The head of this church was chosen, as was expected, Visarion Xhuvani.

Jeroteosi and Kristofor Kisi did not participate in the repeated proclamation of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. Both of them were replaced in their dioceses, Korça and Berat, by the newly ordained bishops. Jeroteosi went to Athos and Kristofer Kisi became a monk, trying to make it clear that he disagreed with the new developments in the Albanian Orthodox Church.

This act of force provoked the strong reactions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which now insisted on the argument that the Albanian Orthodoxy does not form majority of population in its country, and therefore it had no right for the Autocephalous Independent Church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate anathematized all Albanian bishops and asked the Serbian Patriarchate to do the same with Viktor. The Serbian Patriarchate did not follow this suggestion, but also did not recognize the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. The other Balkans Orthodox Churches behaved in the same way as the Serbian Church. Moreover, as matter of jealousy, Fan Noli also had a hostile reaction toward this event. He accused the new Synod that was programmed in the King Zogu’s cabinet some month before.

However, King Zogu and Visarion Xhuvani were not discouraged. The new Church hierarchy was consolidated. Albanian Orthodox believers supported this act. But, from outside it was seen as a kind of a schism. Visarion Xhuvani went to Bucharest to seek recognition, at least from the Romanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church, but failed.

In 1933, the Albanian Government gave a sign of good will toward the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, asking from Kristofor Kisi to leave the monk life and to accept the position of leader of the dioceses of Korça. He did this, but in 1934 he left again this position according to the Ecumenical Patriarchate recommendation. The Ecumenical Patrirchate in Constantinople wanted a kind of general agreement with Albanian authorities to stop the 30-year old struggle.

Recognition of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church

Only in 1937 the final compromise was reached under which the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople officially recognized the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church. In response, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople assured the ordaination of two bishops among four Albanian dioceses; who had to be Albanians by ethnicity. From three of the "pseudo-bishops" of 1929 - this was the title given by Athenian press of that time- one remained as bishop after he formally apologized to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and another was demoted into an ordinary priest. Visarion Xhuvani had resigned from the position of Metropolitan of Durrës in order to open the doors for negotiations with authorities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who had been his sworn enemy. Instead of him, Kristofor Kisi was invoked, who, once again, turned from monastery to the bishop’s seat to lead the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church [47].

On April 12, 1937, Ecumenical Patriarch, Veniamin I and 12 bishops of Holy Synod of Constantinople signed Tomos of recognition of the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church [48]. Four days later, Visarion Xhuvani asked the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for forgiveness, which he gave only after the promises that he never would accept any high position in the hierarchy of the Church. However, he did not keep his promise. In 1942 he accepted to lead the diocese of Berat. On the other hand, Kristofor Kisi headed the Albanian Autocephalous Independent Orthodox Church until 1949.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople wanted agreement with the Albanian Orthodoxy in order to avoid any kind of schism and, at the same time, to regain an influence among Albanians. To this event had contributed anxiety of authorities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for the regaining of Albanian vote in the next patriarchal elections. They had in mind to change the patriarchal system, where the Balkans autocephalous Orthodox churches would be included [49]. They hoped for Albanian support for a Greek candidate against Slavic candidates.

On the other hand, in the new Kemalist Turkey, the power of the Ecumenical Patriarchate had decreased, because of the exodus of the Greek population from Istanbul (Constantinople) in 1925 [50]. Each year after that, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, more and more, felt itself out of its "natural" surrounding. Therefore, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople had the existential need to solve the problems like the Albanian Church question.

Conclusion

The awakening process among Orthodox Albanians started at the same time when this process started for two other Albanian religious communities: Catholics and Muslims. Orthodox Albanian awakeners were inspired and influenced by the Western European national ideas. They also were influenced by the awakening processes in the other Balkans countries, especially Romania.

The Orthodox Albanian Diaspora communities played a very important role in the awakening process in the Homeland. All initiatives in this process started in the Diaspora and ended in the Homeland.

The Orthodox Albanian awakeners were in close relations with the other Albanian awakeners (Muslim and Catholic); they coordinated their activity also. Of course, they have been influenced by two other Albanian religious communities and influenced them, as well.

Nevertheless, the national awakening process among Orthodox Albanians was finished a relatively long time later than among Catholic and Muslim Albanians. The reasons for this delay were of objective nature. First of all, was the fact that, the system of millets in the Ottoman Empire denied the existence of such a community. The second reason was the Phanariot’s sworn commitment to fight against the Orthodox Albanian awakeners. The third reason was the zeal of new Hellenic state to invest in the hellenization process among this population. And, the fourth reason was the fact that Albanian Orthodox population did not form the majority in Albania.

The most important part of the national awakening process among Orthodox Albanians was the struggle for the creation and recognition of the Albanian Independent Autocephalus Orthodox Church. This struggle was initiated by Fan Noli, and was successfully finished by King Zogu.

NOTES:
[01] Apostolos E. Vacalopoulos, The Greek Nation 1453-1669, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1976, p.245.

[02] Belon, Observations, (1:123) p.p. 62b-63b, cited in Vacalopoulos, The Greek Nation 1453-1669.

[03] Mytilis K. Apostolidis, Athens, 1929, p.34, cited in Vacalopoulos, The Greek Nation 1453-166.

[04] Apostolos E. Vacalopoulos, The Greek Nation 1453-1669, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1976, p.246.

[05] Aleksander Stipcevic, Iliri, povijest, zivot, kultura (Illyrians, History, Life, Culture), 3rd edn. Zagreb,1991.

[06] Georges Castellan, History of the Balkans, Columbia University Press, Boulder, 1992.

[07] Marin Barleti, Historia e jetës dhe veprës së Gjergj Kastriotit - Skënderbeut (The history of life and activities of Gjergj Kastrioti - Skënderbeu), Tirana, Prishtina, 1968. The original of this book (more than 600 pages) was written in the Latin language and was published in Rome in 1505. During the further centuries this book got republished and translated in many other languages. The name Skënder is the Turkish version of the name Alexander. The name Skënder-beg was given to Gjergj Kastrioti in the memory of Alexander the Great.

[08] Frang Bardhi, Historia e Skënderbeut, Polemikë me një boshnjak (The History of Skënderbeg, polemics with one Bosnian), Rome, 1650.

[09] Georges Castellan, History of the Balkans, Columbia University Press, Boulder, 1992.

[10] Pjeter Bogdani, Çeta e profetëve - Cuneus Prophetarium, Rome, 1685 (Republished by Rilindja in Prishtina, 1989).

[11] Stavro Skëndi, Albania, New York,1956, p.287.

[12] Beyond the borders of 1937’s Albania was unstudied number of Orthodox Albanian population. The majority was in northern Greece, who were assimilated after World War II. The minority was in present day Macedonia, mainly in Bitola and in Reka region (north from Dibra). In fact, these in Reka are still untouched from the process of assimilation.

[13] Georges Castellan, History of the Balkans, Columbia University Press, Boulder, 1992.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Barbara Jelavich, History of Balkans, Twenty Century, volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1983, p.85.

[16] Akademia e Shkencave të Shqipërisë (Academy of Science of Albania), Historia e popullit shqiptar (History of Albanian People), Tirana, Prishtina.

[17] Stavro Skëndi, Albania, New York,1956.

[18]Georges Castellan, History of the Balkans, Columbia University Press, Boulder, 1992.

[19] Sami Frashëri, Vepra, Letërkëmbimi me Jeronim De Radën (Collected Works, Correspondency with Jeronim De Rada), Rilindja, Prishtina, 1982.

[20] Jeronim De Rada, Vepra (Collected Works), Rilindja, Prishtina, 1981.

[21] Georges Castellan, History of the Balkans, Columbia University Press, Boulder, 1992.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Edith Durham, High Albania, Virago, London, 1985 (first edition in1908).

[24] Myslim Islami, Naum Veqilharxhi - monografi (Naum Veqilharxhi - Monograph), Prishtina, 1979.

[25] Konstantin Kristoforidhi, Gjahu i malësorëve (Mountaineer’s Hunting), Rilindja, Prishtina, 1968.

[26] Andon Zako -Çajupi, Vepra (Collected Works), Rilindja, Prishtina, 1982.

[27] Rexhep Qosja, Asdreni- jeta dhe vepra (Asdreni - his life and activity), doctorate dissertation at University of Prishtina, 1972.

[28] Akademia e Shkencave të Shqipërisë (Academy of Science of Albania), Historia e popullit shqiptar (History of Albanian People), Tirana, Prishtina.

[29] Barbara Jelavich, History of Balkans, Twenty Century, volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1983, p.86.

[30] Mihal Grameno, Vepra (Collected Works), Rilindja, Prishtina, 1981.

[31] Fan Stilian Noli, Autobiography, Boston, 1963.

[32] Roberto Morozzo della Rocca, Feja dhe kombësia në Shqipëri 1920-1944 (Religion and Nationality in Albania 1920-1944), Elena Gjika, Tirana, 1994.

[33] Ibid.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Fan Stilian Noli, Autobiography, Boston, 1963.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Sejfi Vllamasi, Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri 1897-1942 (Political Facings in Albania 1897-1942), Marin Barleti, Tirana, 1995.

[38] French diplomatic relations, cited in "Feja dhe kombësia në Shqipëri ...".

[39] Fan Stilian Noli, Autobiography, Boston, 1963.

[40] The League of Nations archive in Geneva, cited in "Feja dhe kombësia në Shqipëri".

[41] Ibid.

[42] Sejfi Vllamasi, Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri 1897-1942 (Political Facings in Albania 1897-1942), Marin Barleti, Tirana, 1995.

[43] Roberto Morozzo della Rocca, Feja dhe kombësia në Shqipëri 1920-1944, (Religion and Nationality in Albania 1920-1944), Elena Gjika, Tirana, 1994.

[44] Ibid.

[45] Sejfi Vllamasi, Ballafaqime politike në Shqipëri 1897-1942 (Political Facings in Albania 1897-1942), Marin Barleti, Tirana, 1995.

[46] Mustafa Kruja, Kujtime (Memoirs), Kairo, 1950.

[47] Roberto Morozzo della Rocca, Feja dhe kombësia në Shqipëri 1920-1944, (Religion and Nationality in Albania 1920-1944), Elena Gjika, Tirana, 1994.

[48] Ibid.

[49] Ibid.

[50]. Barbara Jelavich, History of Balkans, Twenty Century, volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1983.

[Honezmi]

Albo, megjithse hodhe nje lum te sharash, shpifje dhe paralelesh e mbylle me "keshilla" per BASHKIMIN! "Gjene" mire...
Dhe une po e mbylle me nje thenje te MADHE te Nolit:

---E kemi per ndere te vdesim per vendin tone ,por kurre nga nje dore greku.-------
Ja o Albo, nuk mu durua pa treguar"patologjine"time kundra grekve! E cmund te presesh nga nje ("turko musliman").

Hajt shendet, dhe po deshe besoi dhe kokes se GOMARIT.

[dodoni]

Postuar më parë nga Honezmi
Albo, megjithse hodhe nje lum te sharash, shpifje dhe paralelesh e mbylle me "keshilla" per BASHKIMIN! "Gjene" mire...
Dhe une po e mbylle me nje thenje te MADHE te Nolit:

---E kemi per ndere te vdesim per vendin tone ,por kurre nga nje dore greku.-------
Ja o Albo, nuk mu durua pa treguar"patologjine"time kundra grekve! E cmund te presesh nga nje ("turko musliman").

Hajt shendet, dhe po deshe besoi dhe kokes se GOMARIT.

Honezmi me gjithë respektin, kam një vërejtje për juve?
Juve nuk duhet ta quani ashtu veten kurrë edhe nëse dikush gabon dhe ju quan ashtu, ne nuk kemi shqiptar turko-mysliman, shqiptar ortodokso-grek apo katoliko-italian etj etj ne shqiptarët siç e dijmë të gjithë kemi shqiptar-ortodoks, shqiptar-katolik, shqiptar-islam, shqiptar-bektashinj, shqiptar-protestant, shqiptar-Zot, shqiptar-ateist etj etj dhe këto janë vetëm mënyrat e besimit të tyre në Zot, dhe që të gjithë jemi shqiptar, pra ti lëmë këto dhe ti shmangemi përdorimit fare të panevojshëm fare, bile edhe kur dikush gabon dhe na quan në këtë mënyrë të reagojmë ashpër dhe të mos lejojmë që gabime të tilla të përsëriten në të ardhmen.
Kurse, sa për mbylljen e kësaj çështje, kjo nuk mund të mbyllet deri në largimin e atij nga kisha shqiptare, e cila shumë shpejt duke pasur parasysh edhe domosdoshmërine e bërjes së një gjëje të tille nga shqiptaro-ortodoksit dhe poashtu duke pasur parasysh edhe patriotizmën e tyre të pakrahasueshëm do ta bëjnë një gjë të tillë shumë shpejtë, dhe pastaj edhe kjo çështje konsiderohet e mbyllur dhe nuk ka vend më për probleme fetare në Shqipërinë tonë të dashur.

[Honezmi]

Postuar më parë nga dodoni
Honezmi me gjithë respektin, kam një vërejtje për juve?
Juve nuk duhet ta quani ashtu veten kurrë edhe nëse dikush gabon dhe ju quan ashtu, ne nuk kemi shqiptar turko-mysliman, shqiptar ortodokso-grek apo katoliko-italian etj etj ne shqiptarët siç e dijmë të gjithë kemi shqiptar-ortodoks, shqiptar-katolik, shqiptar-islam, shqiptar-bektashinj, shqiptar-protestant, shqiptar-Zot, shqiptar-ateist etj etj dhe këto janë vetëm mënyrat e besimit të tyre në Zot, dhe që të gjithë jemi shqiptar, pra ti lëmë këto dhe ti shmangemi përdorimit fare të panevojshëm fare, bile edhe kur dikush gabon dhe na quan në këtë mënyrë të reagojmë ashpër dhe të mos lejojmë që gabime të tilla të përsëriten në të ardhmen.
Kurse, sa për mbylljen e kësaj çështje, kjo nuk mund të mbyllet deri në largimin e atij nga kisha shqiptare, e cila shumë shpejt duke pasur parasysh edhe domosdoshmërine e bërjes së një gjëje të tille nga shqiptaro-ortodoksit dhe poashtu duke pasur parasysh edhe patriotizmën e tyre të pakrahasueshëm do ta bëjnë një gjë të tillë shumë shpejtë, dhe pastaj edhe kjo çështje konsiderohet e mbyllur dhe nuk ka vend më për probleme fetare në Shqipërinë tonë të dashur.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dodon
Kuptohet qe ajo eshte ironi ,prandaj e kame vendosur ne thonjza.
E perdora kete shprehje per te vetmen arsye se ;ne te gjitha shkrimet e Albos nenteksi i shkrimeve te tija tregonte kete!
Kulmi i kulmeve eshte ai qe shpreh Albua se:Ai ka fene e (Gj.Kastrijotit) e per kete eshte me shqiptari! Kurse te tjeret qe s'kane fen e (Gj.Kastrijoti) por, kane fene e pushtuesit....s'jane shqiptar!
Ketu flitej per Janullat grekun e Albua na tregonte se muslimanet fshehin ne gjyrin e tyre me qindra arabe !etj.. etj ..etj

Dodon, para disa kohve Albua ka hapur nje teme te tille :-"Te krishteret me patrijot se muslimanet" dhe po ta lexose eshte nje turp dhe nje provokim i hapur!
Prandaj degjoma nje fjale; Albua nuk eshte aq qengj sa duket.