His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania was born in Piraeus, Greece. H.B. Anastasios is known for his missionary initiatives in East Africa and critical leadership in the resurrection of the Albanian church in the 20th century after it was decimated by the Communist regime. H.B. Anastasios played a role in the renewal of the External Mission of the Orthodox Church in East Africa. From 1981-1991, H.B. Anastasios was acting Archbishop of the Holy Archbishopric of Irinoupolis – East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania). While there, he established and organized the Patriarchal School, Archbishop of Cyprus Macarios, where for a decade he was the director. He took care of the stabilization of about 150 Orthodox parishes and decades of construction of churches, of the building of seven missionary stations and worked for the creation of schools and medical stations.

He has traveled all across the globe to study many of the world’s religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, various African religions, and Islam. In addition, he also can speak Greek, English, French, and German and has working knowledge of Latin, Italian, Spanish, Albanian as well as two African languages.

In 1972, he was also ordained as a Titular bishop of Androusa, filling the position of the president of “Apostolic Diakonia of the Church of Greece” an organization of the Church of Greece active in many fields. From 1983 to 1986 H.B. Anastasios was dean of the theological school. He also received honorary degrees from 16 other Universities and their Faculties or Departments. From 1993-2005, he was a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens. He also is an honorary member of the Theological Academy of Moscow. In 1991 after the fall of communism, H.B. Anastasios then a Bishop, was appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to be the Patriarchal Exarch for the Albanian Church. In June of 1992, H.B. Anastasios was named Archbishop of Tirana. H.B. Anastasios is one of the presidents of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. In 2006, he was elected as one of the eight World Council of Churches presidents.