Per the statute of the Orthodox Church in America, the office of the bishop of the Albanian Archdiocese was declared vacant with the death of Archbishop Nikon. His Eminence, Metropolitan Tikhon informed the Holy Synod that he will serve as the Locum Tenens of the Albanian Archdiocese for the immediate future.
As Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Tikhon’s primary responsibility is to see to the election of a new bishop and to maintain the widowed diocese in the interim period. (As is the Orthodox Church practice, when a Diocese loses a Bishop to death, it is referred to as “widowed.”).  Additionally, Metropolitan Tikhon will attend to other administrative and pastoral matters.
Click on the following link to view the attached letter from Metropolitan Tikhon. Albanian Diocese Announcement