Metropolitan Vladimir Called for Dialogue with the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Metropolitan Vladimir and the Synod of the Moldovan Orthodox Church call the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church to dialogue and ask him to voice his position after a number of priests of the Metropolis of Moldova joined the Metropolis of Bessarabia. Metropolitan Vladimir and members of the Synod wrote a letter to Patriarch Daniel reproaching him for accepting priests sanctioned for serious misdemeanors into the Metropolis of Bessarabia. "It’s painful to observe how, under the guise of the Synodal decision of 19 December 1992, clerics who have been suspended or punished for serious moral offences and incompatibility with priestly ministry are accepted as officers of the Metropolis of Bessarabia. Others, who until yesterday declared unhindered loyalty to the Metropolis of Moldova, have left our Metropolis without requesting a canonical letter of resignation, a letter which we offer to every clergyman who requests it. It is necessary to look wisely at the harmful situation that is being created. We are ready for dialogue and cooperation. In such a situation, it will not be possible to establish peace and obedience in this territory. We wish, Patriarch, to live in love and peace with the Metropolis of Bessarabia, we stand for constructive dialogue, but we have always faced non-transparency and bitterness, as some so-called advisors and pseudo-advisors of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, involved in the work of reconciliation of our institutions, constantly sow discord. Unfortunately, someone in the Metropolis has become a victim of an influential group that takes advantage of this conflict situation and adheres their personal interests,” the letter reads. “It is necessary, Your Beatitude, that the Romanian Orthodox Church’s influence on this bleeding wound bring healing through fraternal dialogue,” the letter also states. With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, dozens of priests of the Moldovan Metropolis, subordinate to the Russian Patriarchate, decided to defect to the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The Metropolis banned the priests from performing services for voluntarily leaving it. On 29 February 2024, the Synod of the Romanian Church decided that all Romanian Orthodox clergy and their pastors from the Republic of Moldova who return to the Metropolis of Bessarabia are canonical clerics and blessed believers, and any disciplinary action against them based on their membership in the Romanian Orthodox Church is considered null and void.