A hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova has criticized the property claims of the Bessarabian Metropolis

Archbishop Markell of Bălți and Fălești, a hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, has called on the people of Moldova to remain vigilant regarding the activities of an organization known as the “Metropolis of Bessarabia”. According to Traditia.md, the church hierarch called this organization “schismatic” and expressed his categorical protest against its attempts to seize church property within the country, particularly in the city of Bălți.

In his address, Archbishop Markell emphasized that all churches and religious buildings in the republic, including the Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helena, were built solely through the labor, prayers, and funds of local residents—the ancestors of today’s parishioners of the Orthodox Church of Moldova. The archbishop reminded the audience that these structures were not gifts from outside but rather the result of many years of building by the Moldovan people.

“These buildings currently belong to the people of Moldova,” the archbishop stated, addressing the residents of Bălți with a rhetorical question as to whether they were prepared to allow the transfer of these holy sites under the control of the “Metropolis of Bessarabia.” According to the hierarch, this organization’s desire to gain control of the buildings under the guise of a lease is an attempt to undermine the canonical order of the Orthodox Church of Moldova.

In conclusion, the archbishop called on the faithful to unite in prayer, emphasizing that the activities of the aforementioned organization violate the sacred canons and sow division among Orthodox Christians, without offering any alternative doctrine or spiritual values.

As a reminder, Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova and Metropolitan Anthony , head of the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Patriarchate, recently held an official meeting during which they discussed the prospects for developing dialogue between the two church structures. The event took place on August 26, 2026, at the presidential residence as part of the celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s independence.