The Republic of Albania is a secular state that does not have an official religion . The country's constitution guarantees freedom of religion , equality of religious communities and declares the neutrality of the state "in matters of faith and conscience." Relations between the state and religious communities are regulated by the State Committee for Cults under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports.
In 2002, the Government of Albania entered into bilateral agreements with the Roman Catholic Church governing relations between the state and the church. In 2008, similar agreements were concluded with the Orthodox Church, Muslim and Bektash communities. In 2010, agreements were signed with the Evangelical Brotherhood of Albania , an umbrella organization of Albanian Protestants .
Albania, along with the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo , is the only European country with a predominantly Muslim population. About 63 [1] –64% [2] of the population of Albania are Muslims ; Christianity professed 31 [1] —32% [2] ; another 5 [1] —6% [2] are not religious. According to the data of the general census, the religious beliefs of the Albanians were distributed as follows: Muslims - 58%; Christians - 17% [3] . However, the census data do not fully reflect the reality, since almost 20% of respondents refused to answer the question of religious affiliation, and some religious leaders called for a boycott of the census or challenged its results [4] .
Historical Review
The first Christian community in the territory of modern Albania was established in 58 BC. e. in Durres [1] . After the split of the Christian church in 1054, southern Albania retained ties with Constantinople, the northern part of the country returned to the jurisdiction of Rome.
In the middle of the 15th century, Albania was conquered by the Ottoman Empire; Albanians became the first European people to convert to Islam. There were several reasons for this - Turkish proselytism, a reaction to the anti-Albanian activities of the Orthodox in neighboring countries and economic preferences for those who converted to Islam. In the 18th century, the Sufi Bektashi movement spread in Albania.
Since the second half of the 19th century, the Protestant Evangelical Church of Albania has been operating in Albania . In the late XIX - early XX centuries, among the Albanian Orthodox, a movement began to create a local national church, which ended with the creation of the Albanian Orthodox Church . In 1900, the priest George Germanos, who converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, formed the Greek Catholic community, which later took shape in the Albanian Greek Catholic Church
After World War II and with the establishment of a communist government in Albania, the persecution of religion began. In 1967, Enver Hoxha banned any worship and declared Albania the world's first atheistic state. Hundreds of temples were closed in the country; some religious hierarchs were shot, hundreds of priests of various faiths were sent to prisons.
With the beginning of the democratization of the country (late 1980s), restoration of temples and the revival of religious life began in Albania. In the early 1990s, various Protestant missionaries, Bahá'í preachers, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons arrived in the country.
Islam
In 2010, Muslims in Albania accounted for 63 - 64% of the population. The report from the Pew Research Center contains a figure of 82.1% of the population [5] . Islam is practiced by Albanians, as well as Arabs and Egyptians living in the country. Muslims are spread throughout the country, but Islam has gained the greatest presence in the center and in the north of the country.
Most Muslims are Sunnis (mostly Hanafi madhhab ). Up to 20% of the population of Albania belong to the Sufi Bektash movement; Albania is the world center of this denomination. In large cities, there are preachers of the Ahmadian Muslim community , which appeared in Albania in 1934 [6] . The Ahmadi Muslim community owns one of the largest mosques in Albania - the Baitul Avval mosque in Tirana [7] .
Albania is the only European country that is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation .
Christianity
In 2010, Christians in Albania accounted for 31 - 32% of the country's population (according to the Pew Research Center - 18% [8] ). Part of the Albanians practice Christianity, as well as the Macedonians , Arumans , Italians , Montenegrins , Greeks and Serbs .
According to the Encyclopedia of Religions, Catholics make up 15.1% of the population of Albania [1] (according to the census, 10% [3] ). Most of them are supporters of the Latin rite, about 3850 Albanian Greek Catholics make up the Albanian Greek Catholic Church [9] . Catholics are concentrated mainly in the north of the country (in the Shkodra region).
The share of Orthodox believers is estimated at 14.6% [1] (according to the census - 6.75% [3] ); they are concentrated mainly in the south of the country (along the border with Greece). Most Orthodox are believers in the Albanian Orthodox Church ; the country also has the parishes of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Greek old calendarists .
The number of Protestants is 20 thousand believers [10] [11] . Over half of them are Pentecostals (mainly from the “Word of Life” and the Assemblies of God ). The country also has Baptists , Adventists , Plymouth brothers, and others.
Since 1922 Jehovah's Witnesses (6 thousand) have been preaching in Albania, since 1991 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2.3 thousand).
Other groups
The first reports of Jews in Albania date back to the 7th century. In the 16th century, Jewish refugees from Spain and Italy arrived in Albania. In 2010, 300 Jews remained in the country [1] ; Jewish synagogues operate in Tirana and Saranda.
A fairly large religious community in Albania is composed of Baha'i believers (7 thousand [12] ).
According to the Encyclopedia of Religions, 5% of Albanians are atheists and agnostics [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 J. Gordon Melton . Albania // Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices / J. Gordon Melton , Martin Baumann. - Oxford, England: ABC CLIO, 2010 .-- S. 61-65. - 3200 s. - ISBN 1-57607-223-1 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 Albania - Religious Adherents, 2010 . The Association of Religion Data Archives. Date of treatment March 21, 2014.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Resident population by religious affiliation . POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2011 . Instituti i Statistikave - Tiranë. Date of treatment March 21, 2014. Archived November 14, 2014.
- ↑ International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 Albania . Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Date of treatment March 21, 2014.
- ↑ The Future of the Global Muslim Population (inaccessible link) . Pew Research Center (January 2011). Date of treatment March 7, 2014. Archived February 11, 2014.
- ↑ Ahmadiyya Mosques Around the World: A Pictorial Presentation. - Khilafat Centenary Edition; The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, 2008. - P. 14. - ISBN 978-1-882494-51-4 .
- ↑ “Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques Around the World, pg. 33
- ↑ Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country . Pew Research Center (January 2011). Date of treatment March 21, 2014. Archived January 7, 2012.
- ↑ Shawn Tribe. On Littleness and Liturgy (A Meditation on Anglicanorum Coetibus and Related Matters by Author Claudio Salvucci ) . New Liturgical Movement (November 22, 2010). Date of treatment March 21, 2014.
- ↑ Albania // Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices / J. Gordon Melton , Martin Baumann. - Oxford, England: ABC CLIO, 2002 .-- P. 16-17. - 875 p. - ISBN 1-57607-223-1 .
- ↑ David B. Barrett, George T. Kurian, Todd M. Johnson. Albania // World Christian Encyclopedia. - 2nd ed. - New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2001. - Vol. I. - P. 51. - 876 p. - ISBN 9780195079630 .
- ↑ Most Baha'i Nations (2005 ) . The Association of Religion Data Archives. Date of treatment March 7, 2014.
See also
- Islam in Albania
- Orthodoxy in Albania
- Catholicism in Albania
- Protestantism in Albania