Moldova’s largest Orthodox Church on Wednesday rejected accusations that it serves as an arm of Moscow, deepening a long-running religious divide in the small ex-Soviet nation caught between Russia and the European Union.
In a statement issued after a synod meeting, the Moldova Metropolis, which remains under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared that it was “free and independent” in its operations and represented all Moldovans, not just those aligned with Russia.
“The Orthodox Church of Moldova is not a ‘Russian church’ but rather a church of the entire people living in Moldova, made up of believers of different national groups,” the statement said. “It is free and independent in its operations.”
More than 90% of Moldovans identify as Orthodox Christians, but they are divided between two main churches: the Moscow-linked Moldova Metropolis and the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which is under the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Neither enjoys full autonomy, and their rivalry has intensified amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Romania-affiliated Metropolis of Bessarabia sharply criticized its larger counterpart, accusing it of “duplicity and moral lies.”
It said the Moldova Metropolis “misleads public opinion by claiming to represent the entire Orthodox Church organization on the territory of historical Moldova,” describing it as merely “a local church structure of the Moscow Patriarchate.”
The Romania-linked church also condemned the Moldova Metropolis’ recent decision to defrock 11 priests who defected to its ranks.
In recent months, dozens of priests have transferred their parishes away from the Moscow-linked church, reflecting shifting loyalties amid rising pro-European sentiment in the country.
Reuters previously reported that clergy from the Moldova Metropolis had been taken on a tour of Russia and were later urged to caution their congregations against the Moldovan government’s drive toward EU integration, a policy strongly opposed by the Kremlin.
Moldova, a nation of about 2.6 million people wedged between Ukraine and Romania, has historically oscillated between Russian and Romanian spheres of influence, having once been part of the Russian Empire, “Greater Romania,” and the Soviet Union.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
