According to the statute of the Interreligious Council of Albania (IRCA), Article 12, point a, which states that, “The Council of the Presidency shall appoint the President of the Council of the Presidency every year based on a rotational formula…”, for the period of January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025, the President of IRCA is the head of the Catholic Church in Albania, Mons. Gjergj Meta (President of the Albanian Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of the Diocese of Rrëshen).
Who is Mons. Gjergj Meta?
Gjergj Meta is a prominent figure of the Albanian Catholic Church, born on April 30, 1976, in Durrës. He pursued philosophical and theological studies in Italy, completing his education at the Theological Faculty of Puglia and receiving advanced formation at the Interdiocesan Seminary of Puglia “Pius XI”. From 2006 to 2009, he studied Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, at the Faculty of Canon Law.
In 2017, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Rrëshen. Throughout his career, he has contributed both nationally and internationally, serving as spokesperson of the Albanian Catholic Church and as a member of various commissions, including those on theological formation, liturgy, culture, and the protection of minors. From 2018 to 2024, he served as the Secretary General of the Albanian Catholic Church and President of several important commissions within the Albanian Episcopal Conference. He is also responsible for the “Pastoral-Youth” Section of the Council of the European Bishops' Conferences.
After his ordination as a priest in 2001, he served in various ecclesiastical positions, initially as deputy parish priest in Durrës and Tirana, and later as administrator of the Cathedral Parish of St. Paul in Tirana, parish priest in Kamëz, Luz, and Gramzë, and parish priest of St. Lucia in Durrës. He also played an important role as Dean of the Western Deanery and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Tirana-Durrës.
In October 2023, he was appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality.
In 2024, Mons. Gjergj Meta was elected President of the Albanian Episcopal Conference, leading the Catholic Church in Albania and contributing to its development at both national and international levels.
