Archbishop Anastasios (Secular name: Anastasios Yannoulatos; Greek: Αναστάσιος Γιαννουλάτος; Albanian: Anastas Janullatos; 4 November 1929 – 25 January 2025), was the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania and as such the primate and Head of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. He was elected in June 1992. He was Professor Emeritus of the National University of Athens and an honorary member of the Academy of Athens. Anastasios was one of the presidents of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He was also the honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.
Anastasios was born in Piraeus, Greece. His paternal grandfather was from Asos, Cephalonia, and moved to Lefkada during the middle of the 19th century. On 24 December 2017, he became an Albanian citizen. He was the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. His work included charity in Africa in his early years prior to becoming the Archbishop of Albania.
Anastasios obtained a Certificate of High School with High Honours in 1947, a Bachelor of Divinity from the National University of Athens with High Honors (1952), and carried out post-graduate studies in the History of Religions, Ethnology, Missions, and Africanology at the Universities of Hamburg and Marburg. He undertook research at Makerere University College (1965–69) under the German Foundation Alexander von Humboldt. Th.D. of the Theological Faculty of the National University of Athens (1970, Summa cum laude). During his military service (1952–54) he attended the Schools of the Army Reserve Officers of Syros and of the Signal Corps of Chaidari (to both first in rank and chief of School). He studied various religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, African religions, Islam.
Anastasios was ordained as a deacon on 7 August 1960; as a priest on 24 May 1964; and as Bishop of Androusa for the position of the General Director of Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece on 19 November 1972. He was acting archbishop of the Holy Archbishopric of Irinoupolis (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) from 1981 through 1991 and the Patriarchal Exarch in Albania from January 1991 through June 1992. He was Metropolitan of Androussa from August 1991 through June 1992 and Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and Primate of Albania from 24 June 1992 until his death.
After the 2019 Albania earthquake, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania received a letter of solidarity from Reverend Olav Fykse Tveit on behalf of the WCC, which affirms that "the poignant images of devastation and destruction grieve us greatly, as do the accounts of families left destitute by this event, especially as winter fast approaches". It concluded with the WCC asking him "to share our message of support and condolence with Christians and with all people of good will in Albania, including religious communities of other faiths with whom you work so closely."
Anastasios has been praised for reestablishing the Church of Albania and for his social work. He has also been praised as a bridge-builder between Greece and Albania and a moderate, but criticized by Albanian nationalists.
Lehrbeauftragte, for teaching modern-Greek language and philology – University of Marburg, Germany (1966–69). He organized and directed the «Center of Missionary Studies» at the University of Athens (1971–76).
Associate Professor of History of Religions (1972–76).
Full Professor of History of Religions in the National University of Athens (1976–97). Prof. Emeritus (1997 ff.).
At the same university: Director of the Department of the Science of Religions and Sociology (1983–86).
Dean of the Theological Faculty and member of the Senate (1983–86).
Vice-president of the Club of Students.
Chairman of the Commission of Solidarity in the Cyprian Struggle (1975–84).
Member of the Committee of Research of the University of Athens (1986–1990). and the «Inter-Orthodox Center of Athens» of the Church Greece (1971–75).
Member of the Council of the Centre of Mediterranean and Arabic Studies (1978–82).
The Theological School of the Holy Cross, Brookline, Ma, USA (1989)
The Theological Faculty of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1995)
St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (2003)