▁in ▁Alban ia . ▁Relig ious ▁institutions ▁were ▁forb idden ▁to ▁have ▁anything ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁the ▁education ▁of ▁the ▁young , ▁because ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁made ▁the ▁exclusive ▁province ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁All ▁religious ▁communities ▁were ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁ow ning ▁real ▁estate ▁and ▁from ▁operating ▁phil anth rop ic ▁and ▁w elf are ▁institutions ▁and ▁hosp it als . ▁Although ▁there ▁were ▁tact ical ▁variations ▁in ▁First ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁En ver ▁H ox ha ' s ▁approach ▁to ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁denomin ations , ▁his ▁over arch ing ▁objective ▁was ▁the ▁event ual ▁destruction ▁of ▁all ▁organized ▁religion ▁in ▁Alban ia . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁pri ests ▁was ▁reduced ▁dr ast ically ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁churches ▁was ▁decre ased ▁from ▁ 2 5 3 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 , ▁and ▁all ▁C athol ics ▁were ▁st ig mat ized ▁as ▁fasc ists . ▁ ▁The ▁campaign ▁against ▁religion ▁pe aked ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁authorities ▁began ▁a ▁violent ▁campaign ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁eliminate ▁religious ▁life ▁in ▁Alban ia . ▁Despite ▁compla ints , ▁even ▁by ▁Party ▁of ▁Labour ▁of ▁Alban ia ▁members , ▁all ▁churches , ▁mos ques , ▁te kk es , ▁monaster ies , ▁and ▁other ▁religious ▁institutions ▁were ▁either ▁closed ▁down ▁or ▁converted ▁into ▁w are h ouses ,