Archbishop Ioannis, head of the Albanian Orthodox Church, has said that genuine peace originates from an individual’s inner spiritual state and reconciliation with God before extending into society.

In his Easter message dedicated to the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, the Archbishop stressed that peace in the Christian sense is not simply the absence of war or political conflict, but a deeper spiritual condition rooted in the presence of God in human life.

“The world today is going through a time of tension, conflict, and spiritual uncertainty,” he noted, adding that true peace “transcends human understanding and is born from God’s presence within a person.”

The Archbishop emphasized that the central message of Easter is the triumph of life over death and the overcoming of hatred through love and forgiveness. He urged believers to reflect Christ’s teaching on forgiveness and to avoid responding to evil with evil, calling instead for the breaking of what he described as a “vicious cycle” of hostility.

A key theme of the message was personal responsibility for the condition of the surrounding world. According to the Archbishop, only those who attain inner calm and spiritual stability can become true peacemakers.

“God’s peace is not simply the absence of problems, but the presence of God amid those problems,” the message stated. Believers were encouraged to share this peace with others and become “bearers of peace” in society.

Easter services across Albania were marked by the traditional greeting “Christ is risen!” — “Indeed He is risen!”, with large congregations attending churches nationwide.

The main midnight service was held at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, where Archbishop Ioannis presided. According to Radio Ngjallja, major Easter liturgies were also celebrated in cities including Korçë, Gjirokastër, Berat, Fier, and Elbasan, drawing significant numbers of worshippers.