Dhimitër Kokoneshi, participant of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania (1966-1967), was born in the village of Llëngë in Pogradec. He attended the Monastery Normal School and worked as a teacher in his native village, where he also served as psaltery and guardian of the church. In 1927, he became a priest and served in the Church of Saint Marena in his hometown. He took part in the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War at the head of the partisan unit of Llëngë, created in 1942. After the liberation, he was appointed to various positions in the local government. He returned to church service in 1949; in 1950 he was consecrated bishop and in 1953, he was appointed bishop of Gjirokastra. By decision of the leadership of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in 1966, Monsignor Dhimitër Kokoneshi was enthroned as Archbishop of Tirana and all of Albania. He disagreed with the 1967 decision to close religious institutions and violate freedom of belief. He passed away in Pogradec, on October 18, 1973. (In the photo: Dhimitër Kokoneshi)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1205.
Graphic processing: AHCF
