The enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Bessarabia, Anthony, took place in Chisinau

On Sunday, July 12, 2026, a solemn enthronement ceremony for Metropolitan Anthony of Bessarabia was held in Chisinau. The divine service, held at the Church of the Three Hierarchs and the Life-Giving Spring, was presided over by Metropolitan Theophan of Moldova and Bukovina, representing Patriarch Daniel of Romania. This was reported by Orthodox Times.

The event was attended by high-ranking hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church, government officials from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, as well as numerous clergy and faithful. Addressing those gathered, Metropolitan Theophan emphasized that the new head of the Metropolis of Bessarabia would not be alone in his mission, as he has the support of the Church, the saints, and all the faithful in the work of spiritual unity among Romanians on both sides of the Prut River.

In his enthronement address, Bishop Anthony called his election a “new beginning” and acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead. He called on the clergy and the faithful to work together toward the prosperity of the Metropolis of Bessarabia and the preservation of national and spiritual identity. The Metropolitan also recalled with gratitude the years of his education and the mentorship of Patriarch Daniel, and expressed deep gratitude to his mother, Theodora, who became his first teacher of the faith.

As a reminder, we previously reported that Archbishop Markell of Bălți and Fălești, a hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, expressed concern about the consequences of the Bessarabian schism, which, in his view, is not a church schism, but a political project of Romania.