About Albania:
Albania is a country with a very old Catholic tradition, and yet the Christian population (both Orthodox and Catholic) has suffered much persecution over the centuries. The Ottoman Turks ruled Albania for over four centuries, beginning with their initial entry in 1385 at the invitation of local nobles and establishing formal control by the 1430s, culminating in the conquest of key cities like Shkodra in 1479, and lasting until Albania declared independence in 1912 during the Balkan Wars.
This period of indepencence lasted until 1944, when the Communists took power. Subsequently, all religions (Muslim as well as Christian) came under attack as the government waged war on all religion. Catholic lands and buildings were confiscated, priests and laymen tortured and killed, and it became illegal to practice any religion. Children were encouraged to spy on their parents to find any traces of religion and turn them in to the authorities.
In 1991, the communist regime fell. Although unknown to the communist authorities, a few priests had survived and had even maintained a secret seminary. And the people had kept the faith alive. Finally the Mass could be said publicly throughout the country and the story could be told of the martyrs of the past century.
Two popes have visited Albania: Pope John Paul II in 1993, marking the first papal visit to the nation after communism, and Pope Francis in 2014. Both visits focused on religious freedom, interfaith dialogue, and the suffering endured by Albanians during the atheist communist era.
Religion in Albania today:
According to the latest available data (primarily from the 2023 census and subsequent surveys) some 55–57% of the population is Muslim (vast majority Sunni, with a significant Bektashi Sufi minority), while Roman Catholics are about 10%, Albanian Orthodox: 6–7% and Evangelical Protestants: ~1%. Those claiming non-religious, Atheist or no affiliation are 25–28%.
Bektashi (a distinct Shi’a-influenced Sufi order considered separate in Albanian statistics): ≈ 2–3%
There are very small communities of Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others (<0.1%)
Although Albania is the only European country with a Muslim majority, but it is one of the most secular societies on the continent.
Catholic places of interest in Albania:
The main capital city of Tirana has received Pope John Paul II (1993), Pope Francis (2014)and Mother Teresa (herself an Albanian).
In fact, the airport is known as Tirana Mother Teresa Airport. Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Tirana bears stained glass windows of each of these three as you enter.
Christianity continues to grow in Albania while the Muslim population has fallen below 50 percent for the first time in history.
Among the main Catholic sites in Albania are the following:
Shkodër: Saint Stephen’s Cathedral
Tirana: Capital city of Albania with several Catholic churches.