Christopher of Albania explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Beatitude
Christopher
Archbishop Of:Archbishop of Albania
Enthroned:12 April 1937
Ended:25 August 1949
Birth Name:Sotir Kisi
Birth Date:1881
Birth Place:Berat, Albania (then Ottoman Empire)
Death Date:17 June 1958[1]
Death Place:Tirana, Albania
Signature:Kristofor (nënshkrim).svg
Background:plum
The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania
Reference:His Beatitude
Spoken:Your Beatitude
Religious:Archbishop
Posthumous:N/A

Archbishop Christopher of Albania (Albanian: Kryepeshkopi Kristofori i Shqipërisë, Greek, Modern (1453-);: Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αλβανίας Χριστοφόρος, secular name Sotir Kisi, Greek, Modern (1453-);: Σωτήριος Κίσσης; 1881, Berat - 17 June 1958) was the primate of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania from 1937 to 1949. In 1959 he was found dead by poison.

Biography

Kisi was born in Berat in 1881. In 1937 he became the primate of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania as successor of Visarion Xhuvani, as authorized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which recognized the Holy Synod of the Church of Albania in April 1937. During World War II Kisi backed up the initiative of Italy and the Vatican (subsequently aborted) to unite the Orthodox Church with the Uniate Church.[2] Kisi and the OACA high hierarchy, in contrast to the stand of many Orthodox clergy and laity, were supportive to the anti-Communist resistance movement after World War II and had previously welcomed the decision from German authorities of extending the jurisdiction of Albanian church to the Diocese of Prizren and newly created bishoprics of Peshkopia and Struga.

Kisi was found dead, as a result of poisoning, in 1958. His place as a primate was taken by Communist regime faithful, Pais Vodica.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Archived copy . 2018-09-02 . 2018-09-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084312/http://www.seda.org.al/download/i/mark_dl/u/4012653116/4611166555/2.4-Religion.pdf . dead .
  2. Book: Lucian Leustean. Eastern Christianity and the Cold War, 1945-91. 22 December 2009. Routledge. 978-0-203-86594-1. 144.
  3. News: Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma and Torture Albania. Genocidi Mbi Elitën Intelektuale të Kombit Shqiptar. 2014-01-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231654/http://www.arct.org/pdf/genocidi-241-270.pdf. 2016-03-03. dead.