Romanian Church accuses Orthodox Church of Moldova of being subordinate to Russia – and denies it

The Orthodox Church of Moldova, which is the largest in the country by the number of parishioners, rejected accusations by the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Church that it is "Russian", called statements "unfriendly and dangerous." Prior to that, it defrocked 11 priests for defecting to the "other side".

The Bessarabian Metropolitanate stated that the name "Orthodox Church of Moldova" is incorrect and does not correspond to reality from a historical and canonical point of view. Moreover, it is allegedly misleading, claiming to represent the entire Orthodox church organization in Moldova.

"In fact, this name refers only to the local church structure of the Moscow Patriarchate," the communiqué says.

Also, the Romanian Church accused some Orthodox Church hierarchs of "direct and aggressive" interference in Moldova's electoral processes and "strongly condemned" the church's involvement in politics.

In its statement after the synod, the Moldovan Metropolis downplayed its ties to Russia and said it was open to all.

"The Orthodox Church of Moldova is not a 'Russian church' but the Church of all the people living in the Republic of Moldova, consisting of believers of different nationalities... The Orthodox Church of Moldova is free and independent in its administration," the statement reads.

The church also urged not to succumb to division, recalling the "similar experience of a neighboring country," where attempts to ban the Orthodox Church led to "failures and a deep social upsurge.".

"The Republic of Moldova should not repeat other people's mistakes, but it is time to maintain balance and wisdom for the common good of our people," the Orthodox Church of Moldova said.

In addition, the Bessarabian Metropolis condemned the decision of the Orthodox Church of Moldova to defrock 11 priests who changed parishes in 2020 and went "to the other side." The Orthodox Church called their action "arbitrary, unreasonable and non-canonical.".

"The announced 'excommunications' have neither canonical nor legal force, since the mentioned priests, together with their communities, have not been under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate for many years... With these gestures, the pro-Moscow structures in Chisinau only express their disappointment with the return of an increasing number of communities and priests to the Romanian Orthodox Church," the report says.

• on June 13, it was reported that more than 2000 religious communities have moved to the OCU since the beginning of the full-scale war.
• On October 6, the SBU reported that in two years in Ukraine 22 priests of the Moscow Patriarchate were found guilty.