WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca gave thanks for the great achievements of Anastasios.
“We give thanks to God, Beatitude, for all your efforts during three decades to bring the Orthodox Church of Albania from darkness to the light of Christ; from death to resurrection in Christ; from total destruction to an exemplary growth in Christ,” said Sauca. “We are deeply grateful to God for the erudite scholar, the proliferous writer, the fervent missionary, the good loving and caring pastor, the worldwide known and respected man of dialogue and herald of peace, reconciliation and love in inter-religious and international fora.”
Sauca expressed how grateful he is for for Anastasios's 60-plus years in the ecumenical movement, starting at the World Conference on Mission and Evangelism in Mexico City, in 1961. “You have walked with us, opened for us new horizons in our missionary vocation; you have lead us, and generously shared with us your wisdom; you have inspired us with your genuine and enthusiastic commitment to the Gospel,” Sauca said.