In Shkodra, Monsignor Lazër Mjedja (1869–1935) passed away. Titular head of the Catholic Church, an archbishop. Born in Shkodra in 1869, he began and completed his education at the Papal Seminary in Shkodra (1891). For his ordination as a priest at the age of 21, he obtained permission directly from the Pope, as ordination as a priest was not allowed before reaching the age of 24. His appointment and consecration as the bishop of Sapa at the age of 31 (while the required age was 45) are rare cases in the history of the church. In 1905, the Holy See consecrated him as the auxiliary bishop of Shkodra. As a young bishop, he was involved in the opening of schools and the publication of books and magazines. He was one of the founders of the society “Agimi,” which made a valuable contribution to the Albanian language and alphabet. The need for an archbishop in Skopje, following the departure of Archbishop Troxhi, brought Lazër Mjedja to lead this archdiocese. During his work in the Archdiocese of Skopje, he experienced serious events, both among believers and the entire Albanian people. Along with Father Zef Ramaj, a parish priest in Skopje, they tried to raise European awareness of the situation of Albanians, especially during the Balkan wars and afterward, through foreign consulates, especially the Austro-Hungarian one. They also published a series of texts in the Austrian press for this purpose. He was also active in the developments surrounding the declaration of Albania’s independence. New political circumstances and the death of Archbishop Guerini led to Lazër Mjedja’s transfer to Shkodra (1921), where he served until the end of his life. (In the photo: Lazar Mjedja)
Text: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. II , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 1118–1119.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laz%C3%ABr_Mjeda
Graphic processing: AHCF
