Today: Wednesday, 6 November 2024 year

The Moldavian Church responded with restraint to the accusations of the Bessarabian Metropolis.

The Moldavian Church responded with restraint to the accusations of the Bessarabian Metropolis.

The Moldovan Orthodox Church responded to the accusations from the Bessarabian Metropolis with restraint, taking care of preserving peace in Moldovan society, said Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow.

The Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church, also present in Moldova, previously called on all Moldovan clergy and monks who “feel constrained by Russian dioceses” to join it. The message also condemns the actions of the Metropolis of Moldova, which, at a synod meeting on October 25, defrocked six priests who joined the Bessarabian Metropolis without the knowledge of the hierarchy.

Following the results of the expanded Diocesan Council of the Chisinau Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, on Thursday the Moldavian Orthodox Church adopted a statement about the groundlessness and uncanonical nature of these announcements. After this, the vicar of the Chisinau diocese, Bishop Ioann (Mosnegutu) of Soroca, told reporters that the Moldavian Metropolis does not intend to leave the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) against the backdrop of the transfer of a number of priests to the Romanian Church.

“Concerned about maintaining peace in Moldavian society, the expanded diocesan council of the Chisinau diocese of the Orthodox Church of Moldova responded with noticeable restraint in expressions to the unbridled abuse from the leadership and representatives of the so-called “Bessarabian Metropolis”. This is what distinguishes the Orthodox from the schismatics who trample not only canonical norms , but also the rules of decency characteristic of church people,” Balashov said, commenting on this.