New Diocese Reopens Old Wounds in Albanian Church

The creation of a new diocese in the Albanian Orthodox Church has caused an angry row between the Church authorities and a rebel priest - who has often accused it in the past of acting as the agent of Greece.

The creation of the Elbasan diocese on April 17 was vehemently denounced on Tuesday by local cleric Fr Nikolla Marku who for a long time has opposed the ethnically Greek Church head, Archbishop Janullatos.

Fr Marku, who runs the church of' St Mary in Elbasan, told the newly appointed Bishop, or Metropolitan, of Elbasan, Andoni, to resign.

"Andoni, alias Janullatos, we ask you to immediately resign and not accept the appointment," the priest said in a statement.

He also accused the Church authorities of wanting to "shed blood", warning them that if they did so, it would "drown them".

His anger seems fuelled by a statement of Bishop Andoni's during his consecration service on Sunday in which he said St Mary's church was illegally occupied.

"We have a paradoxical situation here where the church of St Mary is illegally occupied. But with God's help it will be returned to the Church and to the city's believers," the new bishop said.

The Church accuses Fr Marku of illegally occupying the church in Elbasan since the law recognizes it as Albanian Orthodox Church property.

Headed by Archbishop Janullatos, the Church has had repeated disputes with Fr Marku, who the media often style a rebel patriot.

Albanian Church spokesperson Thoma Dhima told BIRN that Fr Marku has no official relationship with the Church, which considers him only a "private citizen".

"He is a spokesman of some segments that are against the development and progress of Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church," Dhima said.

Fr Marku...