The “Foundational Congress of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church” was founded in the school hall of Mangalem in Berat. The Congress itself founded the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (KOASH). The Congress was the consequence and product of a broad national and religious movement, which had its roots in the period of the National Renaissance. The initiative to convene a national orthodox congress was taken by the mayor of Durrës, Kostë Paftali, who also made the relevant announcements. A commission was created for the organization of the congress, which chose the city of Berat as the place where the congress proceedings would take place. The entire Orthodox community of Albania was represented at the congress with clerical and delegates legally elected by the Orthodox of the prefectures and sub-prefectures of the Albanian state. The Congress elected Ikonom Papi Josif, a delegate from Korça, as chairman. His proposal for the creation of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was unanimously approved by all delegates. The Congress approved the Congress Call (Proclamation), Provisional Statutes and Church Regulations. In the call, it was emphasized that the autocephaly of the Albanian church was based on the principle of a free church in a free state and had as an example the autocephalous churches established before. The church would maintain spiritual, dogmatic, and apostolic ties with the Ecumenical (general) Patriarchate in Istanbul and with other autocephalous Orthodox churches. Korça was chosen as the center of the Church. The Albanian language was designated as the official language for correspondence and religious services. (In 3 photographs: Statute of the National Orthodox Church, 1922.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1262.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
