VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2006 (VIS) - From April 21 to 25, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for Relations with States, made an official visit to Albania at the invitation of Besnik Mustafaj, foreign minister of that Balkan country.
On Sunday, April 23, Archbishop Lajolo celebrated a solemn Mass in the cathedral of Tirana and recalled John Paul II's historic visit on April 25 1993, during which he consecrated four new bishops. On January 25, 2005 the late Pope reorganized the Catholic Church in Albania into two ecclesiastical provinces: one around the archdiocese of Tirane-Durres, and the other around the archdiocese of Shkodre-Pult. In the evening, Archbishop Lajolo paid a courtesy visit to the heads of the Muslim communities and was received by the prime minister, Sali Berisha.
On Monday, April 24, the secretary for Relations with States was received by Alfred Moisiu, president of the Republic of Albania. That afternoon he travelled to Scutari (Shkodre) where he visited the national shrine of the Virgin of Good Counsel and presided at a solemn Eucharistic concelebration in the city's cathedral. He also visited the tombs of Albanian martyrs of the communist regime last century, among them that of Cardinal Mikel Koliqi.
On the morning of April 25, prior to concluding his visit, Archbishop Lajolo met with His Beatitude Anastasios Yannoulatos, Orthodox archbishop of Tirana, Durazzo and all Albania.
OP/VISIT/ALBANIA:LAJOLO VIS 20060426 (240)
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