The archbishop offers a retrospective of his life, vocation, and service, through both personal and global lenses. He also weaves together his personal journey, his theological formation, and his decades of engagement in the ecumenical movement. He emphasizes the importance of unity not as an abstract theological ideal, but as a lived commitment to dialogue, reconciliation, and shared witness in a fragmented world. A significant part of the interview is dedicated to his missionary journey and his experience in Africa — an experience that, as he explains, reshaped his understanding of the church as a living community of hope rather than a structure of authority. Upon leaving for Albania, he had to say farewell to his community in Africa. “They gave me a bag with bananas, with sugar, and with tea for my travels,” he said. “It was so moving, the sensitivity of the people.” He then turns to Albania, recalling the very first day he arrived in the country, stepping into uncertainty with faith and determination. At that time, Albanians did not have the right to pray or to have Bibles. From those early days, to the rebuilding of the Orthodox Church, and the cultivation of trustful relationships with other faith communities, he presents interreligious dialogue not as theory, but as daily practice rooted in respect and coexistence. He speaks of present-day Albania. “There is full religious freedom, and also there is a general respect for the ideas and the behaviors of others,” he says, while acknowledging social and religious life is certainly not without its challenges. The discussion also addresses pressing contemporary issues: the role of women in the church and society, meaningful participation of children in religious life, the challenges of international relations, the wounds left by economic crisis, and the growing polarization shaping global discourse. He analyzes the what he believes are the origins of corruption. "For me it is very clear that we have three main reasons: first, lies; second, greed; third, egoism,” he says. “The most important freedom is the freedom from ourselves, from our egoism, and this is the great message of Christianity: freedom from yourself.” Throughout, he returns to the conviction that faith must remain a creative, healing force — capable of sustaining resilience and fostering peace. During the final moments of the interview, he emphasizes that everything we have is a gift of God, and that the only responsibility of us is to share these gifts of God with humility and simplicity with others, and by this way to live deeper in Christ. “The most important is to live in Christ,” he says. “When I am thinking all these periods of Orthodox witness in my life, I can say that I tried to combine theological thinking and research in other religions with pastoral and missionary service and, and at the same time, with sensitivity for the social reality.” The archbishop also emphasizes unity. “For me, it is simple,” he says. “Our expressions of love for Christ and the others are not are a type of theology. In another way, at the same time, every simple action is only a whisper expressing the love for God.” Watch the interview “Anastasios: Missionary, Theologian, Archbishop” international conference convened in Boston (WCC news release, 5 March 2026) | 
