The Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church accepted the resignation of the head of the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia

A working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church was held in Bucharest under the chairmanship of Patriarch Daniel, during which the resignation of the head of the non-canonical Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, Petru Paduraru, was officially approved. This decision marks the end of his many years of administrative and pastoral service at the head of the Orthodox communities in Moldova.

According to the Orthodox Times news portal, the meeting was held on June 3, 2026, at the Patriarchal Palace. The Holy Synod approved the retirement of Peter Paduraru, relieving him of his duties as Archbishop of Chisinau, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Territories. The hierarch played a key role in the spiritual revival of the region, having led the metropolis for many years.

In connection with the approval of the resignation, the Chancery of the Holy Synod was instructed to immediately initiate the procedures established by statute for the election of a new successor. It is expected that the details of the election process for the new head of the so-called Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia will be announced in the near future, in strict accordance with the regulations of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, operating under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church, may initiate a procedure to deprive the Orthodox Church of Moldova (as part of the Moscow Patriarchate) of the right to use more than 800 churches that have the status of historical monuments. The basis for this was a recent decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, which set an important legal precedent.