In Moldova, six parishioners face prison sentences for defending a church from conversion to the Romanian Patriarchate

The trial of six parishioners of the PCM church in the village of Grinauti, accused of hooliganism, began in Moldova’s Riscani district. The incident occurred after the believers resisted an attempt by the former rector to transfer their church from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Romanian Patriarchate, underscoring the growing inter-Orthodox tensions in the region.

According to MD24, the conflict broke out on July 15, 2025 at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The former rector of the parish, priest Constantin Turtureanu, who is under canonical ban, announced the community’s transfer from the Moldovan Metropolitanate of the Moscow Patriarchate to the so-called «Bessarabian Metropolitanate» belonging to the Romanian Patriarchate.

However, this initiative did not find support among the faithful. At the parish meeting 267 people voted against the transition, while only 9 parishioners were «in favor» and 8 abstained. Despite the clear will of the community, Priest Turtureanu refused to leave the church, which led to a clash.

The believers, defending their holy shrine, took the priest and one of his supporters out of the church. Subsequently, the General Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case of hooliganism against six villagers aged between 38 and 59. According to the indictment, they face fines of up to 52,500 lei (about 2,700 euros), community service of up to 240 hours or imprisonment of up to three years.

The defendants themselves and other members of the community consider the case unfair and regard it as a form of pressure on the believers of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, who maintain canonical unity with the Moscow Patriarchate. It is known that a new rector has already been appointed to the parish.

Earlier, the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (PCM) issued an official address to the clergy and people, in which it responded to the «provocative and denigrating» statements about the Church spreading in the public space. The document emphasizes that the PCM is independent in its administration, does not interfere in politics and unites believers of all nationalities of the country, and attempts to discredit it are dangerous for the spiritual unity of society.