The Bessarabian Orthodox Metropolitanate in Moldova plans to reclaim property, including churches, confiscated by the Soviet authorities.
This was stated by Archbishop and Metropolitan of Bessarabia Antonii of Chisinau at a meeting with Romanian President Nicușor Dan at his residence in Chisinau, reports Orthodoxia News Agency.
The meeting took place as part of the Romanian president’s official visit to Moldova to mark the 35th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence.
Metropolitan Antonii highlighted the historical role of the Bessarabian Metropolitanate in preserving the Orthodox faith, the Romanian language, and awareness of a common national origin.
He also told the Romanian president about the challenges facing the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Moldova. These include the need to restore and return the Bessarabian Metropolitanate’s historic church property confiscated during the Soviet occupation, the construction and restoration of churches, the development of educational and social-philanthropic structures, the training and strengthening of the clergy, as well as support for communities in the process of organizing themselves or joining the Mother Church.
As LF reported, the Russian authorities, with the aim of establishing control over Moldova, are using mass bribery of voters and local priests of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the investigation, priests of the Russian Orthodox Church serving in Moldova were hired, in particular, for propaganda purposes.
As LF reported, more than 800 churches in Moldova classified as historical monuments could return to state ownership. These are churches belonging to the Moldovan Metropolitanate, which is part of the Russian Orthodox Church. This was stated by Culture Minister Christian Jardan.
In Moldova, the Liberal Party called on parliament to adopt a law requiring the Moldovan-Chisinau Metropolitanate of the Moscow Patriarchate to permanently sever its ties with the Russian Church. Otherwise, the party argues, the religious organization should be outlawed because it is an instrument of influence for the Russian Federation.
We previously reported that the Russian Orthodox Church had once again claimed “pressure from the authorities of Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on canonical church structures.”
Will the Russian Orthodox Church succeed in maintaining its ecclesiastical influence in Moldova by distorting the information space and changing the country’s political course? LF’s analysis of this issue is available via the link.
