The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania has officially chosen its new Archbishop: His Beatitude Joan Pelushi.
After a 40-minute assembly, the Holy Synod opted for his appointment from three proposed candidates. Joan Pelushi succeeds the late Archbishop Anastasios Janullatos, who led the Church for several decades.
In his acceptance speech, Archbishop Joan stated:
“With humility, obeying the divine will, I accept this high service and promise to fulfill my duty with devotion. I will respect the sacred tradition and work diligently to defend the rights of the Church, aware of the weight of this responsibility. I pray to Christ, the founder of the Church, to grant me light, strength, and wisdom to fulfill this mission. With my hand, I sign this commitment and pray that God always protects our Church.”
Who is the new Archbishop Joan Pelushi?
Born in January 1956 in Tirana, into a Bektashi family, Joan Pelushi was drawn to the Orthodox faith in 1975, during his last year of high school, thanks to a friend who lent him a French version of the New Testament.
He later continued his studies at the Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology in Boston, USA, where he obtained a Master of Divinity degree. His education was made possible by a scholarship established by Albanians in America in memory of Bishop Fan Noli.
After graduating, he returned to Albania and was appointed as a professor at the Seminary of the Albanian Orthodox Church. The late Archbishop Anastas entrusted him with teaching and serving in various roles within the Church.
Ordained as a deacon on February 27, 1994, and as a priest on December 4 of the same year, Joan Pelushi went back to the United States in 1995 to continue his studies. After returning in 1996, he became the director of the Theological Seminary in Durrës and was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite on November 19 of the same year.
On July 18, 1998, he was elected Metropolitan of Korça, a position he held until his recent appointment as the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
A significant contribution to religious literature
In addition to his pastoral mission, Joan Pelushi has made an important contribution to theological literature in the Albanian language, translating and publishing several texts, including:
- On the Holy Spirit (1996)
- Orthodox Faith - Vol. I: Doctrine (1997)
- Orthodox Faith - Vol. II: Worship (1997)
- Orthodox Faith - Vol. III: Holy Scripture and Church History (2000)
- Orthodox Faith - Vol. IV: Spirituality (2002)
- Saint Silouan (2003)
- Dogmatics (academic text for the Theological Academy)
- Illyrian-Albanian Saints (academic handout)
- Sermons (collection of sermons)
He has also published numerous articles in the "Ngjallja" newspaper and has participated in national and international academic conferences, representing the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania with dignity.
The election of His Beatitude Joan Pelushi marks a new chapter in the history of the Albanian Orthodox Church, with the hope that his leadership will continue to strengthen the faith and unity of the Orthodox community in the country.