PERSECUTION OF CLERGY OF ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ALBANIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002600660010-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 25, 1999
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: April 27, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Cs`L.A 1FkCATiON ? r-. it - , s S. a : IC.Isr:Iris 11"Y 25X1 A
Sanitized - Apprc-y
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HAFORMATION P T
.)OUNTRY Albania.
SUBJECT Persecution of Clergy of
thodsx Church in Albania
PLACE 25X1 A
ACQUIRED
DATE OF IN
25X1X
CD UO.
DATE DISTR.
27 APR 1949
NO. OF PACES
1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1,, The assistant of the Archbishop of Albania, Bishop Irineos Barncusis, was
arrested by the Albanian Security. He is accused of having stigmatised
:.ran the pulpit the Albanian Government,, the policy of which is keeping
the Christian population away from the churches.
2. Besides the above mentioned bishop, the Bishop of Berati, Vissarion Tzavania,
is also imprisonedh, accused as a reactionary.
3. The foll+wrin.g are ncwrr free, obeying the orders of the Albanian Catnun.ist Party
v~ Tho Archbishop of Albania, Christoforos Kissing, from Baratia
1a. Paisios frog Koritsa, who is a blind instrument's of the Albanian
Government and was ordained as Bishop after his return from Moscow,
where he went at the head of a representation of the Orthodox Church
of Albania as Arohimendrite Pascal Votitsa; and
eL. The Archimandrite, Marcos Papavassilios, from Koritsa, Who has the
jurisdiction of a bishop but, is still not appointed as such.
4., The episcopal seats of Argyrocantro and Berati are still unoccupied.
_ r1.n eos Banousis was appointed to the former, but declined to accept it,
gyring to his friendly relations with the Metropolitan of Argyroeastro,
1::'a ateleimon, who is in Greece.
PMVgA%t
%JV
CLASS IF!CATION, /CM
Document
This qocument is hereby regraded to,
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with thl
letter of 16 October 1978 from tht
tl
t
o
Director of Central Intelligence
Archivist of the United States.
Next R itf;ed2 '*pproved F