Sandu: I Understand Parishioners Who Do Not Want to Be Part of Church Subordinated to Moscow

The President commented on the conflict between the Moldovan and Bessarabian Metropolitan Churches, expressing hope that the two churches would be able to come to an agreement. “I want peace in society and peace in the church. I hope this scandal will not go further and we will be able to reconcile. People have the right to choose, we are a democratic country, but I understand churches and parishioners who do not want to be part of a church that supports the war, the church in Moscow, I think it is a natural process. However, I repeat, the most important thing is that there be peace in society, let us have peace between the churches, and I hope that everyone will work for that very purpose. No one discussed with the authorities the salaries that priests receive from Romania, it is their decision and I do not know if there was any discussion between the churches. I repeat, my request, my wish is that we keep the peace,” Maia Sandu said, as quoted by realitatea.md More than 50 churches have joined the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, by decrees signed by Metropolitan Vladimir, several priests were suspended from performing divine services and dismissed from the position of parish priest. The church establishment motivated its decision by the fact that they had unauthorized left the Orthodox Church of Moldova, had not submitted hierarchically to the hierarchically superior church authorities and had violated the oath taken at ordination.