ALBANIA: Thousands line the streets of Tirana and attend mass by Pope Francis in Mother Theresa Square

Record ID: 565581

  • Title: ALBANIA: Thousands line the streets of Tirana and attend mass by Pope Francis in Mother Theresa Square
  • Date: 21st September 2014
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (SEPTEMBER 21, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERED IN THE STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHEERING AS POPE PASSES BY IN HIS POPEMOBILE PEOPLE GATHERED FOR MASS IN MOTHER THERESA SQUARE POPE WALKING TOWARDS STAGE PEOPLE GATHERED FOR MASS POPE FRANCIS AND PRIESTS WALKING ONTO STAGE PEOPLE GATHERED FOR MASS PEOPLE GATHERED FOR MASS/ HOLDING UMBRELLAS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE FRANCIS, SAYING: "In this square dedicated to one of our modest and great sisters who comes from this region, blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, I would like to one more time say this greeting to you - may peace be in your houses, may peace be in your hearts, may peace be in your nation" GROUP OF WOMEN PRAYING PEOPLE LISTENING TO POPE GROUP OF WOMEN DRESSED IN TRADITIONAL COSTUMES POPE AND PRIESTS LEAVING STAGE PEOPLE CHEERING AND WAVING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHEERING AS POPEMOBILE DRIVES THROUGH CROWD MOTORCADE WITH POPE DRIVING IN STREET/ PEOPLE WAVING AND CHEERING
  • Embargoed: 6th October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Albania
  • Country: Albania
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA6E95J54UPOSN10TVB4RHGPJBX
  • Story Text: Thousands of people lined the streets to greet Pope Francis on Sunday (September 21) as he arrived in the Albanian capital of Tirana, on his first trip as pope to a European country outside Italy.
    Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox Christians attended a mass held by the pope, at Mother Theresa Square, named after the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta, an ethnic Albanian who is a national heroine.
    The pope greeted the crowds with messages of peace.

    "In this square dedicated to one of our modest and great sisters who comes from this region, blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, I would like to one more time say this greeting to you - may peace be in your houses, may peace be in your hearts, may peace be in your nation," the pope told the cheering crowd at the square.
    Catholics account for only 10 percent of Albanians and live in harmony with 58 percent Muslim, 2.5 percent Bektashi Muslims and 6.5 percent Christian Orthodox, according to the latest census. The rest are agnostics.
    Albanians say they are bonded by language, customs and the hardships which they lived through together during the reign of the late communist dictator Enver Hoxha.
    Hoxha had banned religion in 1967, driving Albania's Catholic and Muslim faithful alike underground.
    Catholicism has reclaimed its place in this predominantly Muslim - but largely secular - country in the more than two decades since Albania's borders reopened and the country set out to re-join Europe.
    The Vatican said Pope Francis wanted his first trip in Europe to be to a "country on the margins" with a past of social and religious persecution and continuing poverty.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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