Today is the anniversary of the first Albanian document that is officially recognized so far. It was the Baptism Formula that was written by the archbishop of Durrës, Monsignor Pal Engjëlli.

The document is kept in the Laurentian library in Florence and was first found in 1915 by the Romanian historian Nicolae Jorga. The document is the fruit of the pastoral visit that the Albanian archbishop Monsignor Pal Engjëlli made as a spiritual leader in the churches of the archdiocese of Durrës at the time.

At the end of this pastoral visit, Monsignor Pal Engjëlli, after facing the difficulties that threatened the Albanian population, left orders to the priests to baptize the babies, in case of danger of death, with the words of the Baptism Formula: “Un te’ paghesont premeni Atit et Birit et Spertit Senit ” /I am baptizing you in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit/.

In his masterpiece dedicated to Scanderbeg, Marin Barleti writes that Pal Engjëlli was a learned man, with rare skills in oratory, whom Scanderbeg kept close to him for his culture and prudence.

/a.p./