Albanian Popes 

 "Osservatore Romano", the official newspaper of the Vatican, Rome, has published an article of Armillota Giovanni tittled: "Pope Clement XI and the Albani Family". The Italian journalist is focused on a short biography of Pope Clement XI and his family, Albani, of Albanian origin, and also citing the names of other three popes who were Albanian by origin.
Pope Saint Eleutherius (175-189) believed to be the first Pope in Vatican with Albanian origin. According to the article, Eleutherius had massively spread the message of the Bible in many places of the Roman Empire. Pope Saint Caius (283-296) is recognized as the first pope to set strict rules of conduct between the bishops and the Vatican hierarchy. Also during the pontificate of Caius, in Rome's imperial throne rised one of the most important figures of antiquity, Diocletian.

The four Popes of Albanian origin 

Pope Saint Eleutherius  (175-189)
Pope Saint Caius  (283-296)
Pope John IV  (640-642)
Pope Clement XI  (1700-1721)

Pope John IV

Pope John IV (640-642), during his papacy never forgot his Albanian origin and according to historians this pope has consistently sent aid to the people of Dalmatia, who were under the yoke of the Serbs and the barbarian hordes. Pope Clement XI (1700-1721) is the latest Pope of Albanian origin. According to 'Osservatore Romano' family of Clement XI was baptized with the surname "Albani", they descend from a Urbino family, Italy, and they fought at Skanderbeg side during the the quarter-century of Turkish occupation. Pope Clement XI after learning his Albanian origin, became very interested in the political and religious rebirth of his homeland. During this period the "First Albanian National Council" (1703) was assembled and mold exactly according to instructions concerning matters of ecclesiastical, dogmatic, moral, and pastoral canon. Also, always according to the "Osservatore Romano", Pope Clement XI has made a major contribution to the unification of the church, to achieve a positive result, temporarily and in Albanian territories. He is recognized also for his greate failure in his effort to convert to Catholicism the Russian Tsar Peter the Great.

Pope Saint Eleutherius  (175-189)

Eleutherius spread the Bible to many countries of the Roman Empire. While the legend that an English king Lucius sought baptism from Eleutherius may be fiction, the pope sent a mission to the British which was then a Roman province.  He is believed to be the first Albanian pope.

Pope Saint Caius  (283-296)

Caius decreed that before a man would be bishop, he must first be porter, reader, exorcist, acolyte, sub-deacon, deacon, and priest. He divided the districts of Rome among the deacons. It was during the pontificate of Caius that Diocletian ascended the imperial throne.

Pope John IV  (640-642)

John IV did not forget his native land which was being harried by Serbs. He sent funds to Dalmatia to help redeem the poor natives who had been carried off by barbarians. He also secured relics from the its troubled churches  and built a church in Rome to house them.

Pope Clement XI  (1700-1721)

Born in Urbano, Italy, of the Albani family whose forebears fought for the Turks for 25 years alongside the 15th century folkhero of the Albanians, Scanderbeg thus preventing the Ottoman Turks from overunning Europe. Clement XI also fostered foreign missions but was unsuccessful in converting  Czar Peter the Great.

The Albani family 

In the official newspaper of the Vatican in Rome, L’Osservatore Romano*, Giovanni Armillotta published an article titled “Pope Clement XI and the Albani Family” in which he stated that the prominent Albani family in Italy was founded by two Albanian brothers, George and Filip of Michele dei Lazi, who fought the Turks alongside the 15th century Albanian folkhero, Gjergj Kastrioti, known in Europe as Scanderbeg (1405-1468).  As a military leader of outstanding capabilities, Scanderbeg united hitherto warring Albanian clans into a common army to battle the invading Turks thus preventing the Ottoman Empire from extending into Europe.

The Albani brothers took the name “Albanesi” that George’s son, Altobello (1454-1564) had changed to “Albani”. In addition to Pope Clement XI  (1700-1721), Armilotta  states that the Albani family produced other illustrious personages who became cardinals, diplomats, and important statesmen including Giovanni Girolamo (1509-91) cardinal, Orazio (1576-1653) statesman, Anibale (1682-1751) cardinal, Alessandro (1692-1779) cardinal,  and Guiseppe (1750-1834)  cardinal.

Also see

References 

* L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO  Year CXL -N 139 (42.777), Vatican City,  Wednesday, June 20, 2001 **  See Frosina infobit:  Saint Eleutherius: the First Albanian Pope. - See more at: http://frosina.org/the-four-albanian-popes/#sthash.ejkzKyuo.dpuf


http://www.ocnal.com/2014/08/i_27.html