Moldova Plans to Repeat the Ukrainian Scenario of Banning the Orthodox Church of Moldova

Moldovan media report that the Moldovan authorities plan to ban the activities of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, copying the approaches of the Ukrainian authorities. According to sources, such a move could not only deepen divisions among believers but also destabilize society, affecting the spiritual foundations of many citizens. This was reported by the channel “Moldovan Politics.”

The Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church, according to the media, is seen as a tool of Romanian political circles seeking the “recreation of Greater Romania.” In this context, the Moldovan authorities are reportedly preparing a decree to transfer all churches and property of the Chisinau Metropolis of the ROC to the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

It is reported that the decree could become one of the first acts of President Maia Sandu in the event of her re-election. According to sources, the Bessarabian Metropolis of the ROC has already demanded that Bishop Markel of the Moldovan Orthodox Church vacate the Saint Constantine and Helena Cathedral in Balti.

Earlier, it was reported that Archbishop of Balti and Falesti Markel expressed concern over the consequences of the Bessarabian schism, which, in his view, is not a church issue but a political project of Romania. “Behind the Bessarabian schism stands not the Romanian Church, but the Romanian state, which wants to annex the territory of the Republic of Moldova,” emphasized the hierarch. He noted that liturgical communion between the priests of the two Patriarchates is maintained, but state interference in church affairs threatens the integrity of these relations.

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