Thousands of Albanians gathered in the capital on Thursday to pay their last respects to Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the country’s Orthodox Christian Church after the fall of the country's communist party in 1990.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of the “irreplaceable void” left by his passing in the eulogy he delivered for Archbishop Anastasios. The Prime Minister described him as “a shining example of wisdom and action,” adding that “courage and hope were the two compasses that always guided Anastasios on his remarkable journey.”

Officials and pilgrims attend the funeral of the late Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, inside the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, in Tirana, Albania, Thursday, Jan.

Under Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos’ leadership, after the fall of communism, more than 400 parishes were reopened and several new churches were built.

Archbishop Anastasios, an ecumenical movement leader credited with helping to revitalize the Orthodox Church in Muslim-majority Albania, has died at the age of 95.

The late Archbishop Anastasios of Albania began his final journey today as his relic departed from the Cathedral of Athens at 10:00 a.m., accompanied by the

Once known as "the North Korea of Europe", Albania is turning to its millennia-old sites and rich cultural heritage to recast its image.

Anastasios' body will remain at the church until Monday morning, when it will be transported to Albania for a funeral service and burial.

Foto Strakosha is a name etched in the history of Albanian football. Born on March 29, 1965, in Memaliaj, Albania, Strakosha rose to prominence as one of the country's finest goalkeepers.

Archbishop Anastasios, a key figure in global Orthodoxy, died at the age of 95. He led the Albanian Orthodox Church since 1992, revitalizing it after its communist-era ban.

Greece's Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos pays tribute to the late Albania's Archbishop Anastasios during a religious ceremony inside the Athens Orthodox Cathedral, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the country's Orthodox Church after the fall of the communist regime in 1990, has died, the church said on Saturday. He was 95.