Moldovan Orthodox Church Metropolitan Vladimir Calles on Priests Who Joined Bessarabia Metropolis to Return

The Moldovan Metropolis is making another attempt to bring back priests who joined the Metropolis of Bessarabia. Having prevented them from celebrating liturgies, Metropolitan Vladimir now calls them back under his authority, but not before they repent. In its turn, the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which has attracted about 50 parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moldova over the past six months, is baffled by the appeal, calling it extremely embarrassing. Some time ago, the Moldovan Metropolis spoke out harshly against the priests who joined the Metropolis of Bessarabia. However, yesterday, after the Synod meeting, Metropolitan Vladimir issued a more pious message. ‘We urge you now not only to reflect on the mistakes you made, but also to repent deeply and return to the bosom of the Church. May the example of the holy Apostle Peter, who, after denying Christ, repented with tears and was accepted by the Savior, inspire you on this path of return. Your recovery will be not only a personal victory, but also a beacon of hope for the whole community, which is waiting for you with open arms,’ the appeal published on the official page of the Moldovan Metropolitan Church says. The leadership of the Metropolis of Bessarabia claims that Metropolitan Vladimir’s call is confusing, given that the harshest sanctions are still applied to clerics who decide to join the Romanian Orthodox Church. ‘They interpret and construct canons as they wish. We can say that they are playing with suspension, demotion and reinstatement. They take away all priestly honors, and then they give them back. We cannot explain what they are aiming at or what their ultimate goal is. Initially it was reported that the priests who joined the Metropolis of Bessarabia would have problems in wanting to serve the church and supposedly, they had sinned deeply. If those priests were in such a situation, why does he accept them back? They contradict themselves in their own statements,’ Constantin Olariu, spokesman for the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, said. Over the past year, more than fifty priests from all over the country, together with their parishes, have transferred from one Metropolitan Church to another. The decision was largely dictated by the fact that the Moldovan Metropolitan Church is part of the Russian Orthodox Church, which officially supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, the Moscow Patriarch recently declared that Russia is waging a ‘holy war’ in the neighboring country and blessed the ‘warriors’.