Dashnor Kaloçi
Part seven
Memorie.al publishes some archival documents with the logo “Top secret” recently released from the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana and the Central State Archive, which belong to a period of time from (1969-1991), where there is a correspondence between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Central Committee of the ALP and some Albanian diplomatic missions accredited in the West, such as Rome, Paris, etc., with telegrams, reports, information, orders, diplomatic notes, invitations, articles, newspapers, press leaflets, photographs, etc., where it is about Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the famous saint of Albanian origin, Gonxhe Bojaxhi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, which since 1969, through French channels and Italian Diplomats , I asked official Tirana to come to Albania, to her homeland, to visit her mother, Roza Bojaxhi, who at that time was 86 years old and ill, as well as her sister, Age, who lived in Tirana. All the complete documentation is made public for the first time by Memorie.al, where light is shed on all the charitable activity of the famous saint, to help the poor around the world and her extraordinary desire to help her compatriots in Albania. communist rule, as well as the total silence of official Tirana and the high communist leadership of that time, led by Ramiz Alia and Nexhmije Hoxha, who under various pretexts prevented her arrival in Albania and allowed it only in 1989, thanks to pressure great international!
Continues from the previous number
Information report of Jorgo Melica and three other persons who accompanied Mother Teresa during her visit to Albania, regarding the biographies of her companions and the conversations they had between them
Marie Gareti (Jona Kerhataj)
Marie Goreti is from Prizren, 23 years old and works as a sister (nun) in a house opened by Teresa in Peja, Yugoslavia. She has been in command since 1981. On Mother Teresa’s mission she left her older sister, a nun who works at one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Washington. A week before he came to Albania he was in Yugoslavia and now he would be back there again.
Throughout his stay here he was reserved and no one was given, even when he was asked by his wife Nexhmije and comrade Reis to tell them something about Kosovo.
From the first day he gave the addresses of the five former nuns, saying that he wanted to meet his mother, although the latter did not mention such a request once. As it turned out, the request was from Marie Goreti from Peja, who had an order from “their people” to meet them.
Of these five, two were judged to come, one from Shkodra and one from Elbasan. The three met, Mother Teresa asked them about life, their families, etc. They stayed together for half an hour. Age Kadhimi from Elbasan showed Mother Teresa a photo where a nun had also appeared, which the mother immediately understood who she was. Agia told him: “Why didn’t you bring Marie here. Hug me and say we have a heart for them. “I asked them in Yugoslavia and I am waiting for the letters to come out.”
As it turns out, this has aunt in Yugoslavia, Titograd and granddaughter in Italy, in one of the seminars led by Mother Teresa. Marie Goreti was interested in this, who did not fail to express the joy that she managed to accomplish one of her tasks. At the moment when Age Kodheli left, she gave a letter to Mother Teresa, while the woman from Shkodra said very little: “I am fine, we have it all”. He donated the book “Albanian folk costumes”.
Mother Teresa asked him how far Shkodra was. The moment the woman was leaving for Shkodra, she was accompanied by Marie Goreti, who told her something. Then she added that there is an aunt in Albania, but I do not know her address. Before leaving the airport, she said: “I’m sorry to leave because we had a great time, we were very happy. You were very nice to us. The mother was also very happy.” Here lies more than in any other place in the world”.
Janet Petri
She was born in Canada and still has parents there. She has been working in New York as a film director for eight years and together with her older sister runs the company “Petrie Productions”. She has been associated with Mother Teresa for eight years, through her brother, a missionary priest in India. He suggested they make a film about this great woman. At first Janet agreed to work on the film for only one year, but when she met Mother Teresa up close, she became very attached to him.
As she puts it: “Eight years have passed and I find it difficult to part with her.” Accompanies him on all the most important trips and meetings. At first she was reserved, but persistent in her demands for Mother Teresa’s program. Thus, on behalf of Mother Teresa, she insisted that the latter, due to age and illness cannot make long trips, so the program was changed in Korça and it was decided to stay only in Tirana. The new program was fully accepted. He kept the camera and the recording camera hidden for the first few days, only released them publicly on the last day and used them. As far as we noticed, this influenced Mother Teresa’s requests and she listened to her. She was like her chief of protocol.
Its purpose was to screen the film and it had no other interest in Albania. Even when she was offered to leave the villa to take a walk to see Tirana, she refused. She used the camera only when they were taking Mother Teresa for an interview and the day she left the airport to take pictures of Mother Teresa with Marie Kraja and her daughter. Despite this, her impression of Albania was quite positive. So she said: “Clean place, beautiful, quiet, green, very good food, and hospitality as well. I saw energetic and smiling people. “All our requests were met with surprising speed.
She really liked the TV shows about Mother Teresa, but she was very upset when she saw that the television had used sequences of her film without getting her permission. International rules were said to have been violated. However, to avoid misunderstandings, she said, “I am happy to donate my film to my mother’s homeland.” But he reacted in the same way during the screening of the film in the Congress hall for the silence of the moment. When the director of the film “Mother Teresa” was officially told that the film provides untrue information about Albania, she replied: “I did not want to offend anyone, or express any political position in my film.” The attitude expressed is not ours but a part of the interview of Mother Teresa’s granddaughter, the daughter of her brother, Lazër”.
After verifying that part of the text, where on page 13, among other things, it is said: “Mother Teresa could never see her mother and sister again. They could not leave Albania. The Albanian military did not want to let them go abroad. “Both just died,” she said, ready to make the difference. Even in the license of the film, which she gave to Television, he made an additional clause, which states: “Petrie productions” and Albanian television, agreed to do. a change in the script of the film. This change will be made by Patrie Productions. The license for the film was also signed by Mother Teresa
Presents
They greatly appreciated the gifts they received. She held Mother Teresa’s eagle in her arms and was told she would be placed near the Nobel Prize. One of the carpets, the little one, said he would make a gift to the Pope.
Jorgo Melica Adelina Mazreku Natasha Hito Diana Kristo
Tirana, August 18, 1989
Correspondence of senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Central Committee of the ALP, regarding the letter that Ramiz Alia would send to Mother Teresa.
Comrade Kostaq,
While talking on the phone, the letter should be translated into English and printed in Albanian. If it does not appear on one page, it does not spoil the job of making another page. It is important that you use the format in testing that we are sending you.
If you had the opportunity, do it a little faster, because Comrade Ramiz Alia can make any changes or additions, so it should be rewritten.
Tirana, 28. 8.1989 With respect
Vaskë Çifligu
Comrade Kostaq,
Mother Teresa has this address: “MISSIONARIES OF CHARITYA 54A ACHANDRA BOSE CALCUTA 700016 INDIA.
Do not forget to put at the end of the letter translated into English the test found on the letter in Albanian.
As I told you on the phone the letter will not be sent diplomatically, but simply. Make sure you leave by air and plane. There is no need to put our address in the envelope. Of course we will start the letter after September 2nd.
Tirana, 30.8.1989 Hello
Vaskë Çifligu
Letter from the President of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Ramiz Alia, to Mother Teresa
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
PRESIDENCY OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
HEAD
Tirana, September 2, 1989
Dear Mother Teresa
Thank you for the letter you sent me on the occasion of the end of your visit to Albania.
We are glad that the days of stay in our beloved and common homeland, although few, were characterized by the feelings of Albanian brotherly love, by the rediscovery of old friendly and family ties, by the rebirth of the memories and emotions that come from the place where our ancestors lived and rested. Our people knew closely his noble patriot, who gave “confidence” to the poor, the sick and the unfortunate.
In those days you stayed in Tirana, you had the opportunity to see for yourself the care shown in Albania for people, for their lives, for children and the elderly. I assure you that the People’s Albania will walk resolutely in the future on this path, on its path to freedom and independence, which provides its people with peace and prosperity.
I understand and appreciate your sincere desire for your sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, to be close to people who are suffering and have no support. Be convinced that this concern of yours for the poor people is also a humane and patriotic duty for the thousands and thousands of boys and girls of our people, who as doctors and nurses, as caregivers and educators are committed to health and well-being of people ours.
Regards
Ramiz Alia
Report sent to the Central Committee of the ALP, regarding the interview conducted with Mother Teresa, before her departure from Albania.
INTERVIEW WITH MOTHER THERESA
After the presentation the first question:
You are known for your charitable activity. Something for the viewer about your work for the good of the poor, impoverished man in different parts of the world.
Answer: Our congregation is dedicated to the poorest of the poor. We have centers all over the world, in 80 countries, where sisters and brothers strive to give love and care to the poorest, to people who have nothing, who have no one, who are sick, who die, the crippled, mentally sick, drug addicts, alcoholics, whoever is the pain of society.
To many people who have no one to care for and love, we strive to give them the love and warmth they lack. We take care that every person, man, son of God, regardless of nationality, race and religion, gives wholehearted help without interest and without reward.
Second question:
Mother Teresa, you are Albanian, come to visit your country, what emotion does this first visit evoke in you?
Answer: I have never been to Albania before, where my mother, sister and brother lived and worked. I too did not have the opportunity to come when they were alive, but now the opportunity to come and visit the graves of my mother and sister became a beautiful gift to me. I was very happy when I saw how beautifully and how carefully it has been shown. I am very grateful to Marie, who has given care and love to my family. I also visited the place where they lived, which made me very happy. I would love to see how many were alive, but for 60 years I was in India and I could not. But I am sure that one day when I go to heaven, I will be able to meet them all together.
Note: When asked about the impressions from the visit to Albania, she said: “I did not know before what Albania was and I am not able to make a comparison and give any impression.”
Letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Reiz Malile, sent to Ramiz Alia, for the letter of the priest Gjergj Gjergji, originally from Kosovo.
Comrade Ramiz Alia
For knowledge. We send you a letter from the priest of Kosovar origin Gjergj Gjergji, sent to our ambassador in Rome, in which he talks about Mother Teresa’s visit to Albania.
We also send you “Lahuta e Malësia”, published in 1989.
Reis Malile
Tirana, September 12, 1989
Information-report of the employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Pula, sent to the Central Committee of the ALP, regarding the visit of Mother Teresa in Albania.
I n f o r m a t i o n
Mother Teresa’s request for a private visit to our country was made at our embassy in Rome through the letter of prof. Giuseppe Del Gaudio Arbëresh from Catanzaro, friend of our country and president of the Association of Arbëresh Writers and Artists. The letter reads: “Mother Teresa has expressed her great desire that, before being separated from this world, or not moving due to age, to kiss the land of Albania so dear to her and pay homage to the graves. of its ancestors. ” It is also learned that on this visit she would be accompanied by Professor del Gaudio and don Gjergj Gashi, a loyal friend of Mother Teresa.
Her request for a private visit to our country was studied and decided to be accepted. The reasons given in this decision are:
1 – In today’s conditions when the West has put on the agenda the respect of human rights and in this context also of religion, the rejection of its request would launch an anti-Albanian campaign in this direction. Both from reactionary hostile circles and from the Vatican. Also, the public opinion, as well as the friends and supporters of our country would find it difficult to understand our position in this situation.
While accepting the request of Mother Teresa, would have a positive impact on mitigating the attacks on our country and would serve as an argument to oppose the various districts that raise the issue of human rights and respect for religion in various international organizations. .
2 – Mother Teresa is an Albanian and a world-renowned personality for her charitable works, Nobel Prize winner. Fulfilling her request to see our country and pay homage to the graves of our ancestors is a humanitarian gesture that will be appreciated by the world opinion.
On July 7, Mother Teresa went to our embassy in Rome, accompanied by two nuns. She stressed that she wanted to go to Albania, see the family graves and visit the house where they lived, if any. Regarding the program of the visit, she left this to the hosts, but stressed that she wants to visit Korça, Shkodra, a hospital, asylum, orphanage, etc. Mother Teresa came to our country on August 14, 1989 and left on August 17, 1989.
She was accompanied by her sister Maria Goreti (Jona Kërhanaj) 23 years old from Prizren and Jeanet Petri with Canadian citizenship, biography of her life. At the airport she was received by Comrade Ciril Pistoli, President of the Albanian Red Cross, Comrade Jorgo Melica, Chairman of the Commission for Cultural Relations with the World, Marie Kraja, Adelina Mazreku, Director of the Oncology Hospital, Ilirjana Shehu, and Natasha. Hito Diana Kristo, translator.
During her stay in our country she was received by her friend Nexhmie Hoxha who had lunch at her house and by her friend Reiz Malile. She visited the Cemetery of the Martyrs of the Nation, the house where her family lived, the Oncology Institution, the Institute of Pneumology, the House of Pioneers “Qemal Stafa” in Durrës.
Before leaving, Mother Teresa sent a letter to her friend Ramiz Alia, in which it is said that after many years of prayers and congratulations, this beautiful gift was fulfilled, to come and see her people. She also seeks to bring to Albania four “charitable missionary sisters” to give warmth, love and care to the elderly, the lonely and the orphans.
On September 2, friend Ramiz Alia sends a letter to Mother Teresa thanking her for the letter she sent, on the occasion of the end of the visit. Expresses joy for the days of her stay in our homeland and expresses readiness for her human desire to care for the poor.
The press, radio and television gave announcements about her arrival in our country, about the visits and meetings she has made, as well as about her departure from our country. The Committee on Cultural Relations with the Outside World also screened a biographical film prepared by Jeanete Petri in her honor.
Mother Teresa, left no impression before her departure, but in the letter she sent to Comrade Reiz Malile from Calcutta (the letter was delivered to our mission in New York by Jeante Petrie) she thanked her and our people for all the love and affection. the care that was shown to her, as well as expressed the pleasure of visiting the family graves and the house where she resided. /Memorie.al
Tirana 15 September 1989
Vladimir Pulaj
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