Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk congratulates Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church on his Nameday

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, has sent the following greeting to His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania, with the commemoration day of his heavenly patron – St. Anastasios the Persion:

Your Beatitude,

Please accept my cordial greetings with your Nameday.

Carrying out your lofty ministry as Primate of the Holy Albanian Church, you by your selfless life ‘add to faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity’ (2 Pet 1:5-8) for your flock.

In this service you imitate in faith and fortitude your heavenly patron – the Holy Monk Martyr Anastasios the Persian, entrusting your life only to the Lord and being an example for the whole Albanian Church among ‘stewards of the mysteries of God’ (1 Cor 4:1).

I prayerfully wish to Your Beatitude spiritual joy and God’s almighty help in your Primatial ministry for many and good years.

With respectful love in Christ,

+Hilarion Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Chairman Department for External Church Relations Moscow Patriarchate