Two candidates have been nominated to fill the see in the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Patriarchate

The Metropolitan Synod of the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church has selected two candidates for the vacant see of the Archdiocese of Chișinău and the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The decision was made on June 20, 2026, in Chisinau following an open discussion and a secret ballot; the final election of the new Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia will take place at the Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate.

According to the Orthodoxia News Agency, the meeting took place at the residence of the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chisinau, chaired by Archbishop of Iasi, Metropolitan Theophanes of Moldova and Bukovina, who serves as locum tenens of the Archdiocese of Chișinău and the Metropolis of Bessarabia.

Bishop Anthony of Bălți, Bishop Benjamin of Southern Bessarabia, and Bishop Nectarius of Bogdan, vicar of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, participated in the synod’s proceedings. The main issue of the meeting was the nomination of candidates to fill the see that became vacant after the Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate accepted Metropolitan Peter’s resignation.

In accordance with established church procedures and the provisions of the charter, the Metropolitan Synod included Bishop Anthony of Bălți and Bishop Benjamin of Southern Bessarabia on the list of candidates. Their candidacies were determined following consultations and a secret ballot.

Following this, the hierarchs held a joint consultative meeting with clergy and laity who are members of the Diocesan Assembly of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, as well as with representatives of the Dioceses of Bălți and Southern Bessarabia participating in the National Church Assembly of the Romanian Patriarchate. Following the vote, it was decided to maintain the list of two candidates without nominating a third candidate.

The final decision now rests with the Holy Synod of the Romanian Patriarchate. However, as the source notes, the Synod has the right to add one more candidate to the list. The election of the new Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia will take place by secret ballot.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Metropolis of Bessarabia, operating under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church, may initiate proceedings to strip the Orthodox Church of Moldova (part of the Moscow Patriarchate) of its right to use more than 800 churches that have the status of historical monuments. The basis for this was a recent decision by the Chisinau Court of Appeals, which set an important legal precedent.