A Divine Liturgy before the sacred tabernacle of the late Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 95, is being celebrated at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The service is presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Ierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios.

Immediately afterward, His Beatitude Ieronymos II of Athens & all Greece will hold a Trisagion for late Archbishop Anastasios. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and PASOK President Nikos Androulakis will attend the service. There will also be a pilgrimage for the late Archbishop until Monday.

The funeral

By decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecclesiastical Church of Albania, which met in extraordinary session on Saturday morning, the Albanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Korça declared a five-day ecclesiastical mourning from January 25 to 29.

On Tuesday morning, January 28, 2025, the holy relic will be transported by road from Greece to Albania via the Kakavia border crossing. The delegation accompanying the relic includes His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Apollonia and Fieri, His Grace Bishop Anastasios of Krougia, and priests Rev. Fr. Charalambos Gioka and Rev. Fr. Spyridon Topantzas.

The sacred remains of the late Blessed Archbishop will be placed for public veneration in the Cathedral throughout the night.

The funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, at 11:00 AM, following the Divine Liturgy. Among the dignitaries attending will be His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The burial will take place beneath the Holy Altar of the Cathedral, within a specially prepared crypt designed by the late Archbishop Anastasios himself.