Ignatius (Triantis)

Born December 28, 1934 in the village of Prodromos of the Boeotian nome of Greece, in a simple Arnautian family of Luke and Mary Triantis. Since childhood, he mastered both Greek and Albanian languages - he learned the latter from his mother ^[2] .

He graduated from six years of primary education in his native village with good grades. Then he continued his education at the Corinth Theological Seminary and on the island of Patmos.

From 1954 to 1960, he successfully completed a course at the Theological School of the University of Athens. At the same time he graduated from the school of Byzantine music in Athens ^[2] .

By graduation, he served at various church obediences. He was a catechist and teacher of church schools; singers in different churches; a preacher; school teacher of various humanitarian subjects.

In 1967, he was ordained deacon and presbyter ^[1] and determined to be the key keeper of Thebes Cathedral ^[2] .

Then he served as bishop's representative in Thebes, rector in the monasteries of Thebes diocese.

On June 24, 1992, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople elected Metropolitan Beratsky of the revived Albanian Orthodox Church ^[2] . At the same time, the Metropolitan of Andrus Anastasius (Yannulatos) was appointed Archbishop of all Albania. Archimandrite Christodoulos (Mustakis) was elected Metropolitan Korchinsky, and Archimandrite Alexander (Kalpakidis) was elected Metropolitan Girokastrinsky ^[3] . The Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church was not yet recreated at that time, and the Patriarchate of Constantinople considered itself entitled to make such appointments.

Due to the unwillingness of the Albanian government to accept the Greek hierarchs, consecration was delayed for a long time, and took place only on July 27, 1996 in the Panteleimon Kuzgunchuk temple in Constantinople . The hierarchs were performed by the hierarchs of the Greek and Constantinople Orthodox churches: Metropolitan of Thebes and Levadia Jerome (Liapis) , Metropolitan Jacob of Mitilino (Frantsis) , Metropolitan of Eudociad Irenaeus (Ioannidis) , Metropolitan of Agathonica, Apostle (Daniadisiopis) and Daniadisiopis (Daniidisiopi)

In the same year, Christodoulos (Mustakis) were ordained to the Korchinsky chair and Alexander (Kalpakidis) to the Gjirokaster’s chair. They and Archbishop Anastasius were supposed to be part of the Holy Synod, but the completely Greek composition of the Synod provoked protests from both Albanian believers and the authorities. In 1998, it was possible to agree that the Synod would consist of two Greeks and two Albanians; Metropolitan Beratsky Ignatius was the only one of these three metropolitans, whose candidacy was negotiated ^[4] .

July 18, 1998 in the Spiridon Cathedral of the city of Berat, the Metropolitan Ignatius was consecrated. On the same day, Metropolitan Ignatius, together with the Primate of the Church, Archbishop of Tirana, Anastasius, chaired the founding meeting of the restored Holy Synod of the Albanian Church in Tirana.

Metropolitan Ignatius, according to him, found a warm welcome and craving for faith among the Orthodox population, as well as good wishes from the local Roman Catholics and Muslims. At first, he tried especially hard to talk with the clergy and people of different faiths in order to enter the situation of people. Finding everywhere the misery, illness, impossibility to find a job or obtain a visa to travel to relatives in Greece, he directed the efforts of the Church to these primary needs, helping people regardless of faith and age. Under Metropolitan Ignatius, the Berat Metropolis also began to organize various educational programs for children, summer camps and festivals. At the same time, the issue of restoring the historical property of the Church within the metropolis was resolved very slowly due to the reluctance of secular authorities, as well as the lack of necessary documentation, often destroyed in previous years.

On September 15, 2001, in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church on the intronization of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Irenaeus ^[5] .

On August 1, 2003, along with Hieromonk Anthony (Andon), he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church in the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo convent at the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov ^{[6] [7]} .

On November 22, 2005, he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church on the intronization of the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilus III ^[8]

On October 13-15, 2007, he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church at the celebration of the 1400th anniversary of the Mtskheta Monastery of the Holy Cross ( Jvari ) and the 30th anniversary of the Patriarchal intronization of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II ^[9] .

February 24, 2011 was elected an honorary citizen of the city of Selenitsa .

On May 17, 2011, he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church at the celebrations dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Holy New Martyrs of Batak in the city of Batak ( Plovdiv Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church) ^[10] .

On February 24, 2013 in Sofia, together with Archpriest Tertius Jokas, he represented the Albanian Orthodox Church on the intronization of the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Neophytos ^[11] .