Vatican City (Fides Service) - The republic of Albania is a country in the Balkan Peninsula. It faces the Adriatic Sea in the west and is bordered by Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Macedonian and Greece. It has an area of 28,742 sq. km and a population of 3,255,891. About 70% of the country is mountainous and the climate is typical Mediterranean on the coast in continental extremes inland. In ancient times Albania was part of a region called Illyria. In 167 BC is became part of the Roman Empire. In the 15th century a leader named Scanderbeg successfully led the Albanians against the invading Ottoman Turks. But after he died in 1468 the Turks took over. Albania became part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Italy invaded Albania in 1939 but German forces occupied Albania in 1943. In 1944 Albanian communists led by a resistance leader called Enver Hoxha took power. In the early 1960s Albania broke with the Soviet Union when the Russians criticised China's policies. Albania was allied to China until the late 1970s when it accused the Chinese of abandoning Communist principles. In the early 1990s the Albanian government introduced reforms permitting opposition parities. In 1991 the Communists won a majority in national elections. In 1992 the non-communist democratic party won power, but in 1997 a financial crisis led to the formation of a socialist-led government.
In 1967 Albanian constitution country a secular nation. Foreign church personnel was expelled or imprisoned and Bishops and local clergy were arrested, condemned to forced labour or interned, religious activity was prohibited. Many were killed, the churches destroyed or used for other purposes.
After the fall of Communism, on October 22 1991the first Nuncio was appointed Archbishop Ivan Dias. At the time there were only 33 priest and 45 nuns all elderly and sick. In response to appeals by Pope John Paul II material help and religious personnel began to arrive. Today there are 20 communities of men religious and 70 communities of nuns. There are 110 priest and about 300 nuns and 150 places of worship.
On April 25, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited Shkodrë and Tiranë and on that occasion he ordained 4 new bishops, the first Albanian Bishops since the Communist persecution. And the country had once again its own Catholic hierarchy after decades.

The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is responsible for the following dependent dioceses in Albania: Shkodrë archdiocese (four suffragans: Pult-Bajzë, Sapë, Lezhë, Rrëshen) and Durrës-Tiranë archdiocese.
Here are some figures.
Shkodrë archdiocese (dates back to about 385 AD) : population 200,000; Catholics 130,000; parishes 29, diocesan priests 16, religious priests 26, nuns 109, major seminarians 7. Archbishop Angelo Massafra OFM.
Pult-Bajzë diocese (dates to 9th century) : population 41,000; Catholics 30,000, parishes 18 e, diocesan priests 1, religious priests 4, nuns 8, major seminarians 5. Administrator Apostolic: Mgr. Prële Gjurashai OFM.
Sapë diocese (dates to 1062) : population 200,000, Catholics 90,000, parishes 20, diocesan priests 4, religious priests 5, nuns 47, major seminarians 9. Administrator Apostolic: Mgr. Dodë Gjerji.
Lezhë diocese (dates to 14th century) : population 100,000, Catholics 80,000, parishes 9, diocesan priests 4, religious priests 7, nuns 12, major seminarians 7. Administrator Apostolic: Mgr. Ottavio Vitale RCI.
Rrëshen diocese (created in 1996) : population 250,000, Catholics 65,000, parishes 5, diocesan priests 0, religious priests 5, nuns 14, major seminarians 6. Administrator Apostolic: Mgr. Cristoforo Palmieri CM.
Durrës-Tiranë ardiocese (dates to 13th century) : population 1 million, Catholics 114,000, parishes 18, diocesan priests 9, religious priests 26, nuns 30, major seminarians 2. Archbishop Rrok Mirdita. (Fides Service 9/11/2002)