Archbishop Seraphim: The fighter for the rights of Northern Epirus

The blessed Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Seraphim (in the world Vissarion Tikas) was, in addition to being a dynamic hierarch, also a fighter for the rights of Northern Epirote Hellenism.

From 1956 to 1973 he served as Metropolitan of Ioannina and at the same time fought for the freedoms of Northern Epirus.

Τα φονικότερα όπλα στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα

He himself had a burning desire for them to remain in their ancestral homes, so that the flame of three thousand years of Hellenism would remain alive.

Since the time of Hoxha, the then Metropolitan Seraphim has been a great fighter for the Northern Epirus Struggle, while trying to keep the memory of the Northern Epirusians alive among their Greek brothers.

With the advent of the new regime in Albania, he set himself the goal of cultivating and strengthening young children, who would continue the development of life upon returning to their homeland.

With his mentors, Epirus benefactors and the well-known Rizareio Foundation.

Archbishop Seraphim was always close to Rizareio and the vision of its Founders. However, there was also the fear of the abandonment of Northern Epirus by its people.

The one who came as a divine gift to Blessed Seraphim was the late Northern Epirus shipowner and benefactor Ioannis Latsis, originally from the historic city of Korçë.

Ioannis Latsis founded the well-known Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Albanian Diaspora with the aim of keeping the young people of Northern Epirus close to their homeland.

The Foundation was created in 1991, based in Pogoniani, and operated as a vocational school where girls and boys from Northern Epirus studied for 2 years. There they learned professions useful for the neighboring country and when they graduated, they were financially supported to return to their homeland and achieve professional success.

Over 1300 Northern Epirus residents (girls and boys) have graduated from the said institution and, returning to their homes with the Foundation's money, they started a new life. At the same time, the Northern Epirus residents were supported with tractors, cars, machinery, etc.

“He succeeded Metropolitan Panteleimon of Gjirokastër as head of the Central Committee of the Northern Epirus Struggle and held it until his death in the early hours of Friday, April 10, 1998, the memorial of Saint Gregory V, who was so revered and took care of the return of his tabernacle to the right aisle of the Athens Cathedral.

As Metropolitan of Ioannina (1958), he founded the city's University and always showed a keen interest in the problems of the people of Northern Epirus...

Regarding Archbishop Seraphim, his close collaborator Ioannis Hatzifotis had stated the following:

I remember, we were returning from an official visit to the Patriarchate of Serbia in 1983, it was his second visit as Primate of the Church of Greece to Belgrade, when Hoxha's official press launched a fierce attack against him with vulgar insults. Even in the school textbooks of the totalitarian regime, he was characterized as an "enemy of the Albanian people"!

The proceedings of a Synod of the Hierarchy had ended, and while leaving the room where it was held, he turned and said to me:

"Don't forget to include something in the resolution about Cyprus and Northern Epirus..."