Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis made his historic visit to Tirana on September 21, 2014. It was his first visit to a European country outside Italy after he became head of the Catholic Church. He spent about 12 hours in Tirana, delivering a speech at the Presidency and later celebrating Mass in Mother Teresa Square. Tens of thousands of Albanians from different religious communities welcomed him.
During the visit, Francis highlighted Albania’s tradition of peaceful religious coexistence. He encouraged interfaith dialogue and called on Albanians to continue along the path of democracy. He also celebrated Mass and encouraged the country’s Catholic community. One of the visit’s notable moments came when Francis embraced two survivors of communist persecution, Father Ernest Simoni and Sister Maria Kaleta. He also met children from the Betania Centre, where nuns provide care for people in need.
The visit attracted wide international attention. Francis later canonized Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016. On November 5 of the same year, he approved the beatification decree for 38 Albanian communist-era martyrs. He added two more martyrs to the group on November 16, 2024.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, aged 88.
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