Youth

Published by the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, April 2005

The New Youth Center "Bethlehem" in Tirana, Center of Ideas and of Active People

The Archbishop Anastasios baptized the Orthodox Youth Center of Tirana with the name “Bethlehem”. He made public this idea in a meeting with young people of the capital city, getting even their ideas for a new vision. Students and other members of Orthodox youth of the capital city were invited at a dinner with the Archbishop in this new center, that will have many functions in the service of the youth. In his opening remarks, the Archbishop emphasized two important points: remembrance (memory) and participation.

“Our Church is a Church of young people. From the very beginning, I wanted the youth to have a leading role. The Orthodox Church of Albania is not only the bishops and priests, but is all of us. But even among the others, the youth have the main part. Until now, I haven’t talked to you about the economic situation. But with the passing of years, I want to inform you even in this area. If the Church may become independency strong, it should take seriously even the economic situation. To have an Autocephaly Church, it is needed to have three things: it should be independent from the administrative side, it should be independent from the economic side and it should spread the Gospel by its own efforts. This is what it gives the independence of an Autocephaly Church.

The young people take part equally in the life of the Church, they don’t take part only through singing, but of course they should be a participative (member). The first thing was the memory, to remember the levels that we have passed, the second is participating; participating in the problems of the Church. You should see even another vision of the Church, now you are young and you should take part to find solution, and don’t stay inactive. The period that Church gave has already passed, but now the Church should become powerful, it needs her members to start thinking and offer to the Church.

I would like to call the center “Bethlehem” and behind this building to build a big room (salla). We should get an idea and find a solution so that we may have a greater development. We should create a new status in the Church. Maybe in the summer we will have a general meeting and I would like the youth to accept to have its own representatives, with love and pain for the Church and with a sacrificial feeling that this work may go ahead, in contrary it will be like a candle that lightened for a short time and than it’s light starts vanishing. The youth must think with their efforts. Today I want you to start thinking for small things and tomorrow you’ll find new ideas.

I’m not interested in becoming well liked by the youth, I need collaborators and in the eyes of each of you I see collaborators. We will continue to love with all our heart Him that came as a foreigner into our life, but He is our most loved man, He is the Son of God. This youth center should become a place that will sustain the building of the Orthodox Church.

What vision is in front of us? Our only vision is the Lord, which by His own will walks to offer Himself for the grace of the world, accepting the passions and walking through the Resurrection. This vision should reign here and this is the vision of the will and of the sacrifice inside the atmosphere of the Resurrection.

You should know that “if God is with us, who will be against us?” – concludes the talk by Archbishop Anastasios.



Volume 7 Number 26 - Tuesday, June 28th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY