Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All of Moldova, in a letter to Patriarch Kirill, complained about the situation of the Orthodox Church in Moldova after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine. The letter was published by former deputy Vlad Kubryakov, who claims that he received a copy of the letter that came from Moscow.
In the letter, Metropolitan Vladimir says that in the current regional context, the Orthodox Church in Moldova is becoming increasingly unpopular among Moldovans due to its direct connection with the Russian Federation. EVP Vladimir also writes about “the inevitable unification of Moldova with Romania and the growing influence of the Bessarabian Metropolis.” The Metropolitanate of Moldova confirms the authenticity of the letter and reports that it is dated September 5, 2023.
The General Secretary of the Metropolis of Moldova, Vadim Keibash, confirmed that the letter was sent to the Patriarch, but there is no response yet.
In a four-page letter, the head of the Orthodox Church of Moldova writes to the Russian Patriarch that the association, as a church structure promoting pro-Russian interests in the Republic of Moldova, is perceived in Moldovan society as an outpost of the Kremlin and a champion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This connection, according to the Metropolitan, “is tantamount to the disappearance of the church from the religious and social scene of the country due to Moldovans’ strong rejection of Russia’s aggressive interference in the affairs of both our neighbouring and friendly state – Ukraine, and our own.”
As arguments, the Metropolitan cites survey results according to which citizens’ trust in the Church as an institution has fallen below the psychological threshold of 70%.
“Unfortunately, this trend is determined by our membership in the Moscow Patriarchate and its rhetoric regarding Ukraine and Moldova.”
In the EPS letter, Vladimir also says that he has repeatedly notified the Russian Patriarchate about the problems of the church, including financial ones. In this context, the Metropolitan emphasizes the growing support enjoyed by the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which has recently been joined by more and more clergy of the Metropolis of Moldova.
“We note the increasingly open and consistent support provided to the Metropolis of Bessarabia (and its growing influence) by the governments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania. This signal from the authorities is perhaps the clearest and it seems that the Orthodox Church in Moldova is becoming increasingly undesirable in the public sphere due to its direct connection with the Russian Federation… The Metropolis of Bessarabia is openly supported by the Romanian Patriarchate, the Republic of Moldova and Romania demonstrating that this is an unstoppable force that seems to want and will achieve the restoration of its historical rights, and the Chisinau and Moldavian Metropolis is only a secondary and useless element in the religious sphere, in the social and cultural life of our country,” the letter also says.
The Metropolitan says that the fate of the Republic of Moldova has already been decided by the great powers.
“This should not surprise anyone, since the fate of the Republic of Moldova has already been decided – in a relatively short time it will certainly reunite with Romania and, naturally, everything that the Orthodox Church of Moldova stands for will become part of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Another idea expressed in the letter concerns the desire of the Russian Church to “absorb the Moldavian Metropolis into the so-called Russian World.”
“Another trend that worries our people and clergy, 80% of whom have Romanian citizenship, is the increasingly persistent desire of the Moscow Patriarchate to absorb the Moldavian Metropolis into the so-called “Russian world”, alien to the aspirations and our national values… Unfortunately, in Moscow They still haven’t understood that the people of Moldova have Latin roots and it is completely normal for them to strive to get closer and remain in this civilizational sphere, after centuries of artificial division, without betraying Orthodoxy. Of course, we cannot deny the values that connect us with the Russian people, especially those expressed through a common faith, but this also applies to our relations with peoples with whom we share religious beliefs, such as the Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Serbs and others peoples, and this must be regarded as such and cannot be a basis for any interference in our internal affairs or for “influencing” our aspirations.”
EPS Vladimir also speaks in the letter about the “superiority” of the Russian Church over the people of the Republic of Moldova.
“In Russia, both secular and ecclesiastical authorities treated us and treat us as a peripheral and spineless people, deprived of the right to make those decisions that they consider necessary for their well-being and prosperity.”
The Metropolitan returns to the recent refusal to ordain Archimandrite Philaret to the rank of bishop.
“In this situation, we ask you, Your Holiness, how we can avoid the abyss that has opened up as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on the one hand, and the growing distrust on the part of both the clergy and the people towards our position. How can we maintain close relations with the Russian Orthodox Church when the geographical connection is practically destroyed, when we can no longer purchase church items produced in the Russian Federation, because there are almost no trade routes between our countries? What to do in the context of the increasingly obvious consolidation of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Moldova and what to do when the Russian Orthodox Church, which considers itself our Mother, behaves towards us, in our opinion, to put it mildly, disrespectfully?” – he ends with these questions. his letter to the Metropolitan of Moldova.
