Abstract
Each of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris is an expression of the Universal (Catholic) Church diversity, where these particular Church communities are united. Among the currently existing 22 Eastern Catholic Church a special place occupies the Albanian Catholic Church: a brief look into its history shows not only its viability during a period when it had to face the Islamic oppression, but also at a time when it felt a similar hostility from the Orthodox Christians.
Despite the fact that Albania was after World War II (1939-1945) officially declared by its Constitution as an atheist state without any religion, and public displays of Christianity could be punished very hard, after the gradual fall of the communist regime in the country (1991-1992) activities of the Apostolic Administration of the Albanian Catholic Church (that the Apostolic See has never cancelled since its inception in 1939) were recovered. It is interesting that the Albanian Church sui iuris is currently one of the few that exist more in spe than in esse - it is assumed that the Catholics of the Latin rite are also descendants of the Byzantine rite Catholics who will espouse their eastern roots.