‘Only a universal mobilization of solidarity will defeat the pandemic’

From the other end of the line, the voice of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, as always, conveys serenity and wisdom. Either in person or from a distance, his presence is soothing in any tough situation, but especially now, during the current crisis sparked by the unprecedented global coronavirus pandemic. Like so many others, the head of the Orthodox Church of Albania is in self-confinement, his daily life drastically changed.

"Here in Albania, we too are adjusting to the government's orders and the instructions of the medical authorities. After a discussion with the members of the Holy Synod, we promptly adopted the necessary decisions relating to the liturgical, educational, catechetical and charitable ministries of our Church. What I have learned over the course of a long lifetime is to ask for God's help to look for new ways out of the abyss of hardship," he tells...