In memoriam

      If geography makes neighbouring peoples, politics can make them friends, but history is what makes them proud. The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and erase their history, says George Orwell. Memory and recognition is the right therapy to get out of the entourage trap that someone wants to digest our history in the mythical-ideological acid of Balkan botox. Knowing yourself is the most dignified intellectual investment, before asking someone to know you. 

      Our relationship with Europe goes beyond the boundaries of neighbourhood and friendship. Albanians are contributors to their European civilization. Early connections with the Roman Empire and the Papacy are documented in Albanian history. There are nearly 30 Illyrian emperors sitting on the Roman throne from the 3rd century to the 6th century. According to the Italian encyclopedia, in the history of the popes of the Vatican, there have been a total of seven popes of Illyrian and Albanian origin. Christianity, the first monotheistic faith, present in the Illyrian lands since the first generation of the apostles, sealed the status of Albanian Christianity as an apostolic identity in the testimony of Saint Paul "...I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ, from Jerusalem and all around to Illyria". While Saint Asti, the first bishop of Durrës in 98 AD, was the first Albanian martyr of Christianity. 

      At the end of the 80s, someone from across the Adriatic united prayer with historical memory for a "forgotten" people in the middle of Europe. Pope John Paul's message on October 5, 1980 from the shores across the Adriatic, when he condemned the persecution of believers and innocent citizens in communist Albania, was the prelude to the painful memory of a people that, for a short time, made politics an enemy of its history and the beginning of the funeral of a system, self-condemned with historical euthanasia. In memorium, the historic visit of Pope Vojtila to Albania on April 25, 1993, shook from the dust of isolation the graces of the Albanian soul under the resounding prayer: "May the love for the family, the spirit of brotherhood, the hospitality towards foreigners and the properties that distinguish your people, enlighten your steps; these properties that constitute the most precious centuries-old Albanian wealth". While Pope Francis marked Albanian Europeanism with the early culture of religious coexistence. 

       Albanians remember with special respect Pope Vojtila and his messages in support of Kosovo. "Peace in Kosovo; Despised and banished is Christ in the man tortured and killed in the war in Kosovo and wherever the culture of death prevails; I think especially about the residents of Kosovo, where the violence and living conditions of the population continue to become more and more dramatic; The international community should give its help to Kosovo as soon as possible; To respect the history and rights of Kosovo". These are just a part of the long list of speeches that Pope Vojtila dedicated to Kosovo in the difficult years of 1998-1999.

Post memoriam

      The relations of the Albanians with the Vatican are very friendly. All the presidents and prime ministers of Albania and Kosovo have visited the Vatican and met with the Pope. But President Begaj's visit at the beginning of this month had a peculiarity. He is the first Albanian president to demand the recognition of Kosovo. 

     The recognition of Kosovo by the Vatican would be an irreplaceable step for Kosovo. The Vatican, in addition to being a state, is the largest global religious institution with great influence, especially in countries with a Catholic majority. If the Vatican recognizes Kosovo, the possibility opens for at least 20 new recognitions. It would come with imposing positions to Spain and Slovakia, two EU states which have not yet recognized it. Latin American states, where Serbia and Russia with their diplomacy have blocked recognition, would orient approaches towards recognition.

    Recognition would remove from the Russian-Serbian alliance one of their most absurd pseudo-arguments. The religious inspiration of the Serbian diplomatic aggression towards Kosovo, based on the fact that the Albanian majority belongs to the Islamic faith, would suffer the most serious defeat. With the recognition of Kosovo, the way would be opened to the Catholic Church of Kosovo for an agreement with the state of Kosovo, just like the Catholic Church in Italy and Albania. This would be the legal and constitutional precedent for other religious communities, including the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, to complete the legal framework of their functioning as autonomous entities within the state they belong to. It would legally resolve, once and for all, the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, which Serbia uses as a Trojan horse. 

   This recognition would significantly help the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, removing from Serbia the possibility of abusing one of its hot spots, the monasteries. The recognition would give another breath to the dialogue and would shorten the distance of mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo. It would contribute not only to the naturalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations but also to the peace and stability of the region. 

    The opening of this chapter by President Begaj, apparently one of the main political initiatives of his mandate, will remain in history as one of the most national and historical acts of an Albanian president. It deserves all the energies and dedication of the influential actors to be completed. It is the question of all questions.