Metropolitan Anthony of Bessarabia called for dialogue with the Orthodox Church of Moldova

The newly appointed Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia, Anthony, issued a statement on the need to end interfaith hostility in Moldova. In a recent interview, as reported by the Orthodoxia News Agency ( ), he emphasized his readiness for constructive dialogue with church structures subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Commenting on the current situation, the metropolitan expressed the view that the language of hostility on the internet, often used by believers of the Orthodox Church of Moldova and the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church, benefits neither side. As a basis for reconciliation, he proposed the principles established during negotiations between representatives of the Romanian and Moscow Patriarchates in 1999, which envisaged a transition from confrontation to cooperation. Metropolitan Anthony expressed hope that, with wisdom, both sides would be able to reach a mutual understanding.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Bessarabian Metropolis, 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.