H.B. Anastasios 

His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania was born in Piraeus, Greece. H.B. Anastasios is known for his missionary initiatives in East Africa and critical leadership in the resurrection of the Albanian church in the 20th century after it was decimated by the Communist regime. H.B. Anastasios played a role in the renewal of the External Mission of the Orthodox Church in East Africa. From 1981-1991, H.B. Anastasios was acting 

Archbishop of the Holy Archbishopric of Irinoupolis – East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania). While there, he established and organized the Patriarchal School, Archbishop of Cyprus Macarios, where for a decade he was the director. He took care of the stabilization of about 150 Orthodox parishes and decades of construction of churches, of the building of seven missionary stations and worked for the creation of schools and medical stations. 

He has traveled all across the globe to study many of the world’s religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, various African religions, and Islam. In addition, he also can speak Greek, English, French, and German and has working knowledge of Latin, Italian, Spanish, Albanian as well as two African languages. 

H.B. Anastasios holds Bachelor’s degree and degree in Theology (ThD) from the National University of Athens. He also studied History of Religions, Ethnology, Missions, and Africanology in the Universities of Hamburg and Marburg. When H.B. Anastasios served in the Greek military for two years (1952–54) he continued his education by attending the Schools of the Reserve Offices of Syros. After having served in the military, H.B. Anastasios, joined the Zoe Brotherhood where he became a leader in brought the Orthodox faith into student movements and teenage camps. In 1960, H.B. Anastasios began his career in the Orthodox Christian Church, becoming a deacon. While preparing to become a priest, H.B. Anastasios formed the inter-Orthodox mission center “Porefthentes” with the aim of educating the church in the area of missions. On May 24, 1964, H.B. Anastasios was ordained a priest. Greece from 1965 to 1969 H.B. Anastasios received a scholarship from Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation, a German Foundation, to conduct research at the Makerere University College in Uganda. 

Even after studying at many universities, H.B. Anastasios continued to be active in the world of academia by becoming a professor in 1972 of the History of Religions at the National University of Athens, the school which he attended in his years as an undergraduate. In 1972, he was also ordained as a Titular bishop of Androusa, filling the position of the president of “Apostolic Diakonia of the Church of Greece” an organization of the Church of Greece active in many fields. From 1983 to 1986 H.B. Anastasios was dean of the theological school. He also received honorary degrees from 16 other Universities and their Faculties or Departments. From 1993-2005, he was a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens. He also is an honorary member of the Theological Academy of Moscow. In 1991 after the fall of communism, H.B. Anastasios then a Bishop, was appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to be the Patriarchal Exarch for the Albanian Church. In June of 1992, H.B. Anastasios was named Archbishop of Tirana. H.B. Anastasios is one of the presidents of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. In 2000, through the proposal of the Academy of Athens and many personalities in Albania, he was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2006; he was elected as one of the eight World Council of Churches presidents.