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thumb|right|Byzantine Orthodox Church in [[Berat.]]
Christianity in Albania began when Christians arrived in Illyria soon after the time of Jesus, with a bishop being appointed in Dyrrhachium (Epidamnus) in 58 AD.
When the Roman Empire was divided in 395 AD, modern Albania became part of the Byzantine Empire, but was under the jurisdiction of the Pope until 732, when Emperor Leo III placed the church under the Patriarch of Constantinople.
From 1100 AD, the Roman Empire carried out Church missions in the area. In relation to the increasing influence of Venice, the Franciscans started to settle down in the area in the 13th century. From the 15th century to the 19th century, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Christianity was replaced by Islam as the majority religion in Albania.
Demographics
Census in 2011
The 2011 population census, gives the percentages of religious affiliations with 58% Muslim, 10% Catholic, 7% Orthodox and 25% atheist, nonreligious or other since the fall of Communism in 1991. However the 2011 census is disputed due to poor counting of the population and the inability to reach most citizens.
A 2015 study estimated some 13,000 conversions to Christianity from Muslim backgrounds.
Census in 2023
According to the 2023 census, there were 1,101,718 (45.86%) Muslims, 201,530 (8.38%) Catholics, 173,645 (7.22%) Eastern Orthodox, 115,644 (4.81%) Bektashi Muslims, 9,658 (0.4%) Evangelicals, 3,670 (0.15%) of other religions, 332,155 (13.82%) believers without denomination, 85,311 (3.55%) Atheists and 378,782 (15.76%) did not provide an answer.
Catholic Church
thumb|right|200px|Catholic church in [[Vlorë.]]
The Catholic Church in Albania is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. According to the numbers given by the government in 2011 it was stated that around 10.03% of the religious population is Catholic.
Eastern Orthodoxy
According to the numbers given by the government in 2010 it was stated that Eastern Orthodoxy was practiced by about 20% of Albanians within Albania. This is about 13,000 people. Many Protestant denominations come under the umbrella organisation, the Albanian Evangelical Alliance (VUSH).
Freedom of religion
In 2022, Albania scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.
See also
- Religion in Albania
- Eastern Orthodoxy in Albania
- Catholic Church in Albania
- Protestantism in Albania
- Christianization of Albania
Further reading
- Tönnes, Bernhard. "Albania." In The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 35–36. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999.