The struggle to grow

“Albania is looking to Europe and, although it’s a country with a Muslim majority, considers the presence of the Catholic Church important and significant. Albania appreciates, in particular, the witness she gave under Communism and the charity she has shown to everyone in the recent years of ethnic conflict”, says Monsignor Gorg Frendo , auxiliary bishop of Tirana. Following the recent assembly of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference, which was mainly devoted to the reform of the pastoral commissions, he reviews the situation of the country in a briefing to SIR. AID OF THE OTHER SISTER EUROPEAN CHURCHES . “Albania wishes to open herself to Europe, and the Church is contributing to this process, thanks to contacts between her and the dioceses of various nations and between the groups and associations that come to our country to learn about the Albanian population and culture”, comments Monsignor Gorg Frendo, auxiliary bishop of Tirana. In the Albanian capital he works together with the titular bishop, the Right Rev. Rrok Mirdita, who was appointed President of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference in May 2006. “The contacts with the diocesan churches of other countries have been very positive: for example, Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna, visited Albania on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 November, to participate in the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of Rreshen. The Bolognese Church donated the cathedral to the community of Rreshen as ‘sign’ of the National Eucharistic Congress in 1997; it was dedicated to ‘Jesus Christ sole Saviour of the world’. In this way a bond of friendship and collaboration was established. On Saturday 11 November Cardinal Caffarra expressed this friendship by celebrating mass together with the local bishop Cristoforo Palmieri. In the diocese of Tirana too – continues Msgr. Frendo – we register similar types of contacts with the presence of an Italian fidei-donum priest as well as of other missionaries and volunteers”. PRESENCES OF YOUTH AND VOLUNTEERS . “The Christian communities and also civil society appreciate deeply the presence of groups of volunteers of Caritas, young people, scouts or members of lay associations from various European countries, who come to Albania for periods of pastoral work and youth animation”, adds Msgr. Frendo. “These are positive experiences that open new prospects of friendship and contacts between Christian and non-Christian communities”. Msgr. Frendo stresses that inter-religious dialogue is also showing signs of growth in Albania: “Relations with Muslims, who form the majority of the population, are good, in confirmation of what was said by John Paul II in April 1993 when he came to our country, namely that Albania represents an example also for other countries of how the peaceful coexistence between believers of different religions is possible”. TOWARDS A “MORE EUROPEAN” POLICY. At the political level, “the country is becoming more stable. The government has taken the fight against corruption seriously. Efforts are being made to open the nation to the presence of foreign firms that can bring work and development to the country and help boost its infrastructures: it is enough to think of the efforts being made to reinforce the electrical grid”. The phenomenon of emigration is also being reduced, “especially clandestine emigration which is being kept under tighter control by the authorities, by the adoption of very tough measures to discourage it. For example, it seems there are systems able to discourage most hydrofoil owners (who organize the traffic of illegal immigrants) from continuing their journeys towards the coasts of neighbouring countries”. The whole process that ought to lead Albania, like other countries of Eastern Europe, to membership of the European Union remains open. “It would be a positive goal – says the bishop – even if it will probably take years before the objective can be achieved”. NO EASY FUTURE WITHOUT SUPPORT. The Albanian Church can count on six dioceses, a few hundred secular and religious priests, and a similar number of women religious, as well as a small number of catechists and parish assistants. “We are rather worried both by the pastoral aspect, given that the number of vocations is insufficient to support the future pastoral burden, and by the need for financial aid that our churches are pointing out. The aid hitherto granted by Propaganda Fide will be reduced in a few years’ time. Resources will have to be focused on the situations most in need, and we face serious organizational and financial problems in trying to fund our churches, pastoral centres, educational centres and healthcare and social structures. It must never be forgotten that the Albanian Church is poor: it does not have substantial assets or real estate, and therefore it could face difficulties in continuing to run various of its charitable works unless it receives more support. It’s certain, too, that we will need to have for a little more time the presence of men and women missionaries from neighbouring countries”.