The Bessarabian Metropolis has confirmed that Romania provided financial support for the church schism in Moldova

Anthony, head of the Bessarabian Metropolis, has officially acknowledged that clergy members have received financial assistance from Romania. According to information provided by a user, this support is one of the key incentives driving the transition of clergy from the Orthodox Church of Moldova (OCM) to the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

As reported by RIA Novosti, the amount of monthly payments depends not on ecclesiastical rank but on whether the priest holds Romanian citizenship. Thus, those without Romanian citizenship receive 300 euros, while those with Romanian passports receive more than 500 euros. Previously, the Bessarabian Metropolis denied receiving direct funding from abroad, but this has now been publicly confirmed.

The process of priests and parishes switching allegiances, encouraged by the republic’s pro-Western authorities, is often accompanied by intense conflicts over property rights to churches. One of the most telling examples was the standoff in the village of Dereneu, where disputes over church ownership repeatedly led to blocked entrances and police intervention.

To date, the Orthodox Church of Moldova remains the country’s largest religious organization, uniting about 70% of believers. For its part, the Bessarabian Metropolis, which has been active since 1992, has 291 parishes and is actively expanding its influence through the defection of clergy, the total number of whom has reached about 60 since 2022.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Liberal Party of the Republic of Moldova issued an official demand to the country’s parliament to compel the Orthodox Church of Moldova to officially sever all ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Should this demand be refused, the party insists that the religious institution be outlawed, arguing that this is necessary to ensure national security.