“Dom Shtjefën Kurti presented several requests to the government of Prime Minister Enver Hoxha, to release the religious institutions that the partisans had occupied…”/ The unknown story of the parish priest of Tirana

NIKOLLË LOKA

Av. ALFDRED DUKA

NIKOLIN KURTI

Part eight

WHY DOES THE POLITICAL ACCUSATION OF COLLABORATION NOT STAND?

                                      -Continuing the tradition of native Catholic clergy –

                                                       Continues from last issue

Illegal seizure of property of religious institutions!

Memorie.al / The Constitution did not provide for intervention in the property of religious institutions in the country, but relying on the expressions “property can be limited and alienated”, the state used the opportunity to confiscate church property in 1946, which the letter tells us about of the Bishops of Albania, sent to the Government about these problems. The Catholic Church, which in King Zog’s legislation did not appear as a legal entity, suffered extremely large losses in this regard. Confiscation of church property in parishes, assemblies, schools, colleges, orphanages, etc., from April 1946 onwards, was as a coercive measure in addition to the arrests, sentences and executions of clerics, accused of counter-revolutionary activities in connection with their collaboration with ‘Balli’, Legality, the ‘National Union’ organization and the Anglo-American imperialists, as highlighted in a 1967 report.

In a second phase, the state authorities reached out to the property of the Catholic Church, requesting that it be given to them temporarily for use due to urgent state needs, but once they got hold of that property they “nationalized” it, “expropriated” without law the clergy who were the real owners.

On January 3, 1945, Shtjefën Kurti informed the state authorities that: The Jesuit Mission in Tirana had turned into a pigeon cage, where all kinds of unknown people entered and left, who at least at first had asked for permission and, meanwhile, the theater hall had been turned in the kitchen. Kurti demands that the properties of the Jesuits be immediately returned to their previous conditions of use, since the tranquility of life in the Assembly was too disturbed. The Stigmatine Nuns of Korça had the same problem, who had hastily informed the Parish Office of Tirana that they had received an order from the Council of that city to accept two families in the house where they live, and that they should live alone. In one room, together with another that served as a chapel (inner church).

Expropriations of church buildings had also occurred in Vlora, Lushnja and Fier, as it appears from the letters sent to Dom Shtjefni by the clergy and nuns of these cities:

Tirana 13.II.1945

Prot. No. 94/45

Pt. Ordin office. Archip. of Durrës in Delbnisht

As they have in Tirana Fr. Antonio di Natale, Brother of Lushnja, who informs me that he is bringing to the notice of that Ordinary Office of the Archbishop:

1. The Latin Mission of Vlora has received from the Government, through the Partisans, everything they have, their personal belongings as well as ours, the mission’s core.
2. The Oriental Mission of the Nuns, idem, they don’t even have a shirt with ndrue.
3. To the Mission of the Latin Nuns so called “Suore Del Giglio” idem.
4. In Lushnje, Father Epruer ordered the Italians and not to talk to them; He also stopped the nurse brother from continuing his service to the poor.
5. In Fieri, the Mission’s house was surrounded by a radio transmitter, allegedly due to begging.

For the information of that P.T. Order office. Archip.

                                                     The parish priest

                                                   Don Shtjefën Kurti

Tirana, 16.VI.45

Letter no. 191/45

We, the President of the Catholic Community and Parish Dean, have the honor to submit the following to the High Dicastery:

The Holy See of Rome has sent two Conventual Eten and nun “Pikola Operde del Secra Soure di Gesu” as missionaries of the oriental rite to Vlora.

Now both the Conventuals and the Nuns are scheduled to leave Albania on the 25th of this month.

After that, the city police, Bat. III with the help of the Battalion Commissar gave the order not to dare to sell anything, or to take it away from the house.

Also, this order was given to them by the Executive Council of the N/Prefecture, and they said that they had received instructions from the Ministry of Education for that measure.

We sign it, we are charged with protecting all the properties of the South Missions, movable and immovable, I beg the Dicaster of the Prime Minister, to make the appropriate orders, where everything should be handed over to us both by the Conventuals and by the Nuns and that no one else don’t interfere for what I’m worried about.

The President of the Catholic Community of Tirana

 Don Shtjefën Kurti

The Prime Minister responded ten days later: “Regarding the letter No. 359/45 dated 14.XI.1945, we inform you that all the necessary instructions have been given to the Executive Committee of the N/Prefecture of Vlora so that the material of the Nuns of that city which is seized, be left at the disposal of Don Shtjef Kurtit, Chairman of the Catholic Community of Tirana and Parish Priest – Dean”.

While the Stigmatine Nuns of Korça had foreign, unacceptable and illegal persons introduced into their home, therefore Dom Shtjefni requests the taking of measures for their release as soon as possible.

                                         Tirana, 27.VI.1945

                           Parish Office of the Catholic Church

Tirana

Prot. No. 208/45

Urgent

PT Ministry of Justice

                                                                    Tirana

The Stigmatine nuns of Korça urgently inform this Parish Office of Tirana, that they have received the order from the Council of that city to accept two families in the house where they live; and they reserved only one room for themselves together with another that served as a chapel (inner church).

The undersigned has the honor to bring it to the High Dicastery, with a request that it intervene and stop it as soon as possible where the competence is, to let them know that it does not in any way coincide with the rules of the institution in question, coexistence under a roof or even in a plot, with persons who do not participate in that Institute.

With the hope of a conclusion in favor of this issue based on the justice of that Dicastery, the undersigned has given the order to the nuns in question not to leave the country.

Chairman of the Catholic Communist Party of Tirana

                        Don Shtjefën Kurti

The Catholic Church demands that the property that was taken from it for the needs of the war be returned. The National Liberation Council of the Vlora District had authorized the 19th Assault Brigade to take the motorcycle to the Mission of the Catholic Church of Vlora, for the needs of the War, but although time had passed since the liberation, the motorcycle was not returning to the Mission, so Dom Shtjefën Kurti addresses the General Command of the National Army:

Tirana 24.X.1945

Parish Office of the Catholic Church

Tirana

Prot. No. 329/45

General Command of the National Army

Tirana

The N.Ç Council of the District of Vlona, with the Order of the chairman Rexhep Sulejmani (Rexhep Kapaj), dated 18 December 1944, has authorized the XIX Brigade to take the motorcycle of the Mission of the Catholic Church of Vlora type “Guzzi”, number 13809 with license plate BT.57

That motorcycle is pulled here with that date by Mr. himself. Sulejmani (this is his signature).

We note that that motorcycle is now in Vlora in use by the National Army.

The Parish Office of Tirana asks the General Command of the National Army to make the necessary orders so that the motorcycle is returned to the Mission that they mentioned above, because as we have heard, day by day they returned the stolen helmets in the early days, when the UN was in need of liberating the Motherland from foreign yoke.

Chairman of the Catholic Committee of Tirana

                    Don Shtjefën Kurti

From another letter of Shtjefën Kurti from Tirana addressed to the General Command of the Army, it is learned that in the fall of 1945 the structures of the Jesuit missionaries were destroyed. The missionaries had been kicked out of their house and unauthorized persons had entered the house.

Parish Office of the Catholic Church

Tirana

The Chairman of the New Tirana Neighborhood Council

For your information: Prime Minister

Chairman of the District Council

Chairman of the City Council

We, the President of the Catholic Community of Tirana, have the honor to inform you of the following:

18 Etent Jesuits cooperate with other members of the Catholic Community of Tirana. Their activity, like ours, is developed for the religious worship in the soul of Catholics, especially that of the youth.

For the aforementioned purpose, we have prepared suitable premises, not without great sacrifices, which are constantly necessary for the development of our action.

It is widely known in Tirana that Etent, whenever the need arose (especially during the fighting in the capital), are ready to give the people, regardless of religion or province, shelter and bread, even their lives are at risk.

Now they presented themselves to the Fathers, they said that they were sent by the Neighborhood Council, and they asked for the Theater Hall for the Children’s Canteen, you assured them that it was only needed for a short time, until the families of the Durrsaks moved from Tirana, and so that other premises were freed. This request can only be made verbally.

Day after day, uninvited persons came in and out, some of them were allowed, in one way or another, with a request or once, to let them the rest of the above-mentioned Salon for theatrical performances and the yard for training sports of Rini of the neighborhood. The facts that were proven to them would have completely paralyzed the life of our religious associations.

We are rather preoccupied, because we do not know when these continuous requests one after the other, and who are these uninvited and certainly authorized persons who present themselves as authorities.

Therefore, in conclusion, we emphasize:

1. That all the premises of the Jesuit Fathers in Tirana are their private property.
2. That all local ones are necessary for the development of religious education as above.
3. That the unseen movement of unknown and uncontrollable people within the walls of the Monastery worries about the safety and the discipline of that Monastery.

President of the Catholic Community of Tirana

                 Don Shtjefën Kurti

In order to solve the problem of the occupation of the Traveling Mission Ship, its president P. Gjon Karma, turns to Don Kurti to intervene with the state authorities with his authority:

Tirana 29/X/1945

Very Reverend

Don Shtjefen Kurti

                                                 Chairman of the Catholic Community

                                                                           Tirana

Since the beginning of the following year, the National Liberation Army has occupied the Spine of the Albanian Walking Mission in Shkodër; first of all, inside the Military Hospital, since August, the country’s authorities have been inside the District Command.

Due to the occupation of house, it is necessary for us to disperse the personnel of this Religious Institute and cease the activity of the sixty-year-old work.

Please, as the President of the Catholic Community of Tirana, be kind enough to intervene and take the necessary steps with the competent government authorities of the Capital City, so that the previously mentioned house is released to us; so that we can gather the scattered personnel and begin renew our religious action.

Chairman of the Albanian Traveling Mission

1. John Karma S.J.

Don Shtjefni immediately presents the case with an official letter to the General Command of the Albanian National Army:

Tirana 3.XI.1945

Parish Office of the Tirana Catholic Church

                  Prot. No. 345/45

P.T. General Command of the Albanian National Army

Tirana

The head of the Albanian Traveling Mission in Shkodër, Father Gjon Karma, a Jesuit, wrote to us on 29.X.1945, that since the beginning of the year, the Liberator National Army had occupied the Spine of the Albanian Traveling Mission, first of all, inside The Military Hospital, as early as August, the country’s authorities have included in the District Command.

Due to the occupation, continues the letter of Father Gjon Karma, we would like to disperse the personnel of this Unfinished Religious Institute, to suspend the activity of the sixty-year-old work.

We beg that General Command to issue the necessary orders for the liberation of the said ship, since it is not an urgent need as in the first days of the liberation of the Motherland from the foreign yoke. The release of the said house gave us the opportunity to gather the dispersed personnel and restart our religious activity, which had been suspended for almost a year. Memorie.al

The President of the Catholic Community of Tirana and Parish Priest

Don Shtjefën Kurti

                                                    The next issue follows