Archbishop Markell urged the faithful of Moldova to peacefully defend Orthodox churches from nationalization

In Moldova, the situation around the possible transfer of more than 800 Orthodox churches to state ownership is aggravating. Archbishop Markell of Balti and Falesti appealed to the clergy and laity to stand up for the protection of church property, emphasizing the need to act exclusively within the framework of the law and without the use of violence. This is reported by «Sare și lumină || Ortodoxia în Moldova».

During a prayer service for church unity held in the diocesan cathedral, the hierarch called the threat of church seizures «real» and compared the situation to a «storm». The reason for concern was the statements of the Moldovan authorities about their intention to return the architectural monuments to the state under the pretext of their restoration. At the same time, according to the source, the Ministry of Culture has previously recognized that it does not have sufficient resources to preserve these objects, which casts doubt on the true goals of the initiative.

Archbishop Markell also pointed to attempts by the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia to take control of parishes belonging to the Orthodox Church of Moldova. In his address, he cited the example of the steadfastness of the inhabitants of the villages of Grinauti and Dirineu, who were able to protect their sacred places. The hierarch emphasized that «the weapons of defense are the Holy Cross and prayer» and called on the faithful to unite «with one heart» to preserve their spiritual heritage.

In support of this initiative, a thematic flash mob has been launched in social networks under the hashtags #nu_cedăm_bisericile and #800. Church supporters call on the public to pay attention to the problem and prevent forceful interference in the affairs of religious communities.

Earlier, the former head of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah, said that the Moldovan authorities were pushing the Orthodox Church towards a split, against the background of an initiative to return more than 800 church objects to the state; she proposed to decide the fate of churches in local referendums and warned of the risks of escalation of the conflict in society.