August 29, 2015
On August 26, 2015 at around 4 o’clock in the morning construction forces attacked and destroyed the church of St. Athanasius in Dhermi in Himara, which had recently been twice vandalized, reported the press office of the Albanian Orthodox Church.
The destruction crew gave no notice and did not allow the parish faithful to remove the sacred objects before they flattened the parish. Parishioners responded that they felt dejected and offended to see the Holy Gospel, icons and other sacred objects buried under the rubble.
Such actions endanger the peaceful coexistence of different religious communities towards which the Albanian Orthodox Church works and provokes and distorts the image of the Albanian people and nation.
