TIRANA, March 28 – The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Diocese Shkoder-Pult, Monsignor Angelo Massafra, launched a strong appeal to all Catholic faithful to put an end to the cultivation of cannabis. The appeal came during the Easter Mass held at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the northern Albanian city of Shkodra.
The growing of cannabis has been problematic throughout the years in the highlands of the Shkodra region and police have launched several operations in the area to cut down on the marijuana trade.
The Catholic archbishop said he was ashamed of the practice.
“Our mountains have turned into fields that generate drugs and not bread, they are generating death. What a shame! I am ashamed by such Catholics. This is not how our martyrs would have acted,” the archbishop appealed.
Monsignor Massafra added that Albania cannot be built with evil deeds and corruptive practices and that the country’s fate lies in our own hands.
“Albania’s fate is neither in the hands of magicians, nor in the hands of fortune tellers, it is instead in our hands and in the hands of God,” Massafra added.
Archbishop Massafra, who is also President of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference, recently urged politics to do more to alleviate poverty in the country.
This year will mark two major events for the Albanian Catholic Church such as the sainthood of Mother Theresa and the canonization of its forty martyrs.
