The Metropolis of Bessarabia may challenge the right to use more than 800 churches in Moldova

The Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, which operates under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church, may initiate a procedure to deprive the Orthodox Church of Moldova (as part of the Moscow Patriarchate) of the right to use more than 800 churches with the status of historical monuments. The basis for this was the recent decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, which created an important legal precedent.

According to Moldova Libera, the court proceedings began after the community of the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel decided to transfer to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia. The rector of the parish applied to the Agency of Land Relations and Cadastre with a demand to cancel the right to use the church, which had previously been granted to the Orthodox Church of Moldova. However, the agency refused to re-register, citing the need to obtain consent from the previous user.

This refusal was challenged in court. The Chisinau Court of Appeal recognized the position of the cadastral agency as “absurd and illegal”. The court emphasized that any interested person has the right to demand the annulment of entries in the real estate register, if the documents on the basis of which they were made are recognized as invalid.

According to Julian Rusanovski, a lawyer for the Metropolis of Bessarabia, the ruling opens the way for a review of the use rights of hundreds of other properties. “We hope that this decision will force the Cadastre to honor its legal obligations and stop obstructing the communities of the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The previous refusal was a clear interference in religious freedom,” – said the lawyer.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Moldovan government plans to ban the activities of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, copying the approaches of the Ukrainian authorities. According to sources, such a step may not only intensify the split among believers, but also destabilize society, affecting the spiritual foundations of many citizens of the country.