ISSN 0272 -7250 ALBANIAN CATHOLIC BULLETIN PUBLISHED PERIODICALLY BY THE ALBANIAN CATHOLIC INFORMATION CENTER Vol.3, No. 1&2 P.O. BOX 1217, SANTA CLARA, CA 95053, U.S.A. 1982 BULETINI d^M. jpu. &CU& #*- <gP KATHOLIK Mother Teresa's message to all Albanians SHQIPTAR San Francisco, June 4, 1982 ALBANIAN CATHOLIC PUBLISHING COUNCIL: ZEF V. NEKAJ, JAK GARDIN, S.J., PJETER PAL VANI, NDOC KELMENDI, S.J., BAR­ BULLETIN BARA KAY (Assoc. Editor), PALOK PLAKU, RAYMOND FROST (Assoc. Editor), GJON SINISHTA (Editor), JULIO FERNANDEZ Volume III No.l&2 1982 (Secretary), and LEO GABRIEL NEAL, O.F.M., CONV. (President). In the past our Bulletin (and other material of information, in­ cluding the book "The Fulfilled Promise" about religious perse­ This issue has been prepared with the help of: STELLA PILGRIM, TENNANT C. cution in Albania) has been sent free to a considerable number WRIGHT, S.J., DAVE PREVITALE, JAMES of people, institutions and organizations in the U.S. and abroad. TORRENS, S.J., Sr. HENRY JOSEPH and Not affiliated with any Church or other religious or political or­ DANIEL GERMANN, S.J. ganization, we depend entirely on your donations and gifts. Please help us to continue this apostolate on behalf of the op­ pressed Albanians. STRANGERS ARE FRIENDS News, articles and photos of general interest, 100-1200 words WE HAVEN'T MET of length, on religious, cultural, historical and political topics about Albania and its people, may be submitted for considera­ tion. No payments are made for the published material. God knows Please enclose self-addressed envelope for return. No Strangers, He loves us all, The poor, the rich, The great, the small. He is a friend Letters and inquiries should be directed to: Who is always there To share our troubles ALBANIAN CATHOLIC INFORMATION CENTER And lessen our care . P.O. BOX 1217 No one is a stranger SANTA CLARA, CA. 95053 (U.S.A.) In God's sight, For God Is Love And in His Light May we, too, try In our small way To make New Friends BULETINI KATHOLIK From day to day . SHQIPTAR So pass no stranger With an unseeing eye, For God may be sending Vjeti III Nr. 1-2 1982 A New Friend By. TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial 3 Letters 4 John Paul II receives Albanian Bishop Nike Prela 7 Maximilian Kolbe : Martyr Saint of our Century 8 Fr. Ndoc Luli, S.J., latest victim of religious persecution in Albania...10 Brief outline of suppression of the Catholic Church in Albania 11 The religious garb of Greek chauvinism 13 Church leaders demand religious freedom in Albania 15 Arberesh Bishop denounces persecutions in Albania. 17 Church in Albania discussed in Rome 20 Albanian refugees tell of religious oppression 21 Enver Hoxha talks about religion and the Catholic Church 23 The Albanian press again attacks the Vatican and the Pope 25 Amnesty International Annual Report on Albania 26 U.S. Department of State Report for 1981 on Albania 27 Journey into the Unknown: An Albanian adventure 28 Isolation in Albania 35 Indoctrination of elementary school children in Albania 36 Albanians are not atheists 40 A cry against war — 1940 42 Pope Clement XI, the Albanian Pope .44 Padre Pro : Viva Christo Rey ! 46 Mother Teresa in San Francisco 50 Mother Teresa - A lighthouse in the darkness 52 San Francisco Albanian community celebrates its national holiday 53 70th Anniversary of Albanian independence 54 Death of a tyrant 56 Albanians in Yugoslavia: The struggle for national affirmation 59 The Kosova issue at the U.S. National Convention of Slavic Studies 68 Fond impressions from an "adopted Albanian" 74 The Arberesh, an unbroken bond of Albanian people 76 Amnesty International on imprisoned Albanian intellectuals in Yugoslavia 78 America, America, hear our cry! 79 Why ethnic unrest in Serbia has the Yugoslavs worried 80 Clouds in Yugoslavia 82 Albanian blood lies in the streets of Kosova 83 Archbishop Theophan S. Noli - Centennial Symposium 84 . The Albanian language in the world 8 7 Albanian folk dances 89 The son of the Midnight Sun 92 A photographer's journey into the memory of his mother 94 Book Reviews 9 8 Doctoral dissertation on Albanian crypto-Christians of Kosova 109 French actor filming in Albania- 110 Ninth International Congress of Albanian Studies Ill In Memoriam 112 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WE ACKNOWLEDGE WITH DEEP GRATITUDE THE GENEROSITY OF REV. MICHAEL WURMBRAND, DON BANAS, FR. FRAN SMITH, S.J., JOHN NEIMAN, DUDLEY PERKINS FOUNDATION AND FR. WILLIAM PERKINS, S.J., FR. RENEE CONSTANT, MSGR. JOSEPH J. OROSHI, PRENK GRUDA AND OTHERS, WHO FINANCIALLY HELPED US ALONG THE WAY. MAY THE GOOD LORD REWARD ALL. HOW YOU CAN HELP RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ALBANIA •N There are many things one person can do for those whose rights of worship are denied by force and legislation. Below we are listing some: 1. BECOME INFORMED YOURSELF. 2. SHARE WITH OTHERS YOUR KNOWLEDGE. 3. PRAY EVERY DAY, ALONE OR IN A GROUP, FOR THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ALBANIA. 4. WRITE LETTERS TO EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS. 5. CALL IN ON RADIO TALK SHOWS. 6. URGE CHURCH AND POLITICAL LEADERS TO TAKE ACTION ON BEHALF OF THE OPPRESSED ALBANIANS. 7. FORM A GROUP TO PRAY AND TO WORK TOGETHER TO HELP SPREAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION NOW OCCURING IN ALBANIA. 8. WRITE COURTEOUS LETTERS TO ALBANIAN LEADERS (ENVER HOXHA, GENERAL SECRETARY PLA, TIRANA, ALBANIA; AND ADIL CARCANI CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE PSRA, TIRANA, ALBANIA), PROTESTING ANTIRELIGIOUS LAWS OF THE ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT EDITORIAL This year our Center celebrates its tenth anniversary. During this short but eventful period when the faithful in Albania have been striving to persevere, we have brought to our friends and to the public at large news about their plight. Our group of volunteers, dedicated to religious freedom everywhere, but particularly in Albania, have carried on our work with great zeal and sacrifice. And our readers, by their letters and their financial support, have enabled us to continue what we truly consider an apostolate for the persecuted Church in Albania. On this special occasion, then, we deem it appropriate to express our sincere thanks to all of you who have supported us by prayers and by words of encouragement. We look forward to continuing, with your help, this important task. May Our Lord and the Hpresent day Martyrs of Albania be the guiding light in our lives. j§ GUEST EDITORIAL RAYMOND FROST UNITE WITH THE SUFFERING CHURCH "Let us remain in communion with the martyrs. They dig the deepest bed of the divine river in history. They construct the strongest foundations of the city which rises to eternity." —Pope John Paul II, Otranto, Italy, October 5, 1980 When the history of the twentieth century is finally known, countless Christian martyrs will appear in bold relief against the background of terrible oppression and equally terrible apathy. But if their witness echoes in our hearts and finds its expression in the works of our hands, we will discover inexpressible joy even in the terrors of these times. This is the paradox of martyrdom—to find joy and fulfillment through the very suffering which tears us away from the things we cherish—our homes, our loved ones, our very lives. Precisely because we are willing to give up these things do we possess an everlasting reward. What one member of the Body of Christ suffers benefits those who are fellow members, especially those who have committed themselves to the same tasks. We must look at our own lives and question ourselves—am I committed to sharing in the suffer­ ings of Christ's weakest members, in whatever circumstances they are to be found? Christ categorically proclaims in Matthew, Chapter 25, the relief of our neighbor's burden as the final criterion of our condemnation or reward. Beginning with Calvary and continuing through twenty centuries of Christian witness, we are called to participate in the work of uniting to the Body of Christ those parts which are separated from Him. Only in this way can we see the unacceptable atrocities of Auschwitz, of Central America, of Albania and all the communist world having the profound purpose of uniting souls to Christ. Our sacrificial suffering, in and with our burdened neighbors, in a spirit of penance and reparation for sin, is our pledge of commitment to Christ which seals our belief in Him. Most of the innocent victims of this century are known only by the little and the lost, among whom shine the recently martyred Albanians Bishop Ernest Coba and Fr. Ndoc Luli, S.J. Now God has granted them a representative from their own time and experience, Maximillian Kolbe, to show forth what God has done through His priests. Their sharing in the sacrifice of Christ on the altar has borne fruits of redemption in the lives of their countrymen, their oppressors and even in the apathetic, who are destined to see in them a shining example of truth and goodness. May the future St. Maximillian Kolbe lead us into battle for the souls of men, under the banner of Mary Our Mother. 3 LETTERS Since I am Albanian (Arberesh) on both my mother and father's side and over 80 years of age I am making a greater effort to learn more about my people. Your book has been very helpful in that direction. God bless you.... Rosie R. Bellas San Leandro, California Many thanks for the Bulletin. It is an excellent periodical packed with interest­ ing information. As a member of Amnesty International, I absolutely condemn the widespread killings which have occurred in Albania and the detention of thousands of political and religious prisoners.