In this excerpt from an American publication titled “Peoples of All Nations: Their Life Today and Story of Their Past” we can read of how the Greek bishop once excommunicated the Albanian language, saying that “Christ does not understand it”. We can also read that the Turks would sentence someone with 15 years in prison if they taught in Albanian.
Cited:
“… Orthodox Church, and here a Greek bishop once even excommunicated the Albanian language, and priests taught that it was useless to pray in Albanian, as Christ does not understand it.
The Turk punished with fifteen years’ imprisonment anyone who taught the forbidden language or printed it, but the indomitable Albanian printed his books abroad and smuggled them in with difficulty and danger.
By October 1910, most of the Albanian newspapers, journals, societies, schools, and printing presses were either closed or underground. Prominent Albanian journalists who resisted received prison terms and fines. Albanian newspapers from abroad were forbidden entry into the empire. Thus, by the end of 1910, little remained in the open of Albanian nationalist activity”.
Reference
Balkan Academia 