Moldovan Orthodox church faces potential loss of control over hundreds of temples

The Orthodox Church of Moldova could lose its rights to manage more than 600 churches and over 20 monasteries, potentially transferring control to the Romanian-backed Bessarabian Metropolis, according to legal experts. A court ruling on the matter is expected on March 19.

Former Moldovan Minister of Justice Fadey Nagachevsky told TASS that the decision to transfer rights over churches and temples to the Bessarabian Metropolis is currently being challenged.

He explained that if the Supreme Court upholds the ruling, the Metropolis of Moldova will lose its control over these religious sites, and the Ministry of Culture will then have to determine how the rights will be distributed between the two metropolises.

The Metropolis of Moldova is a self-governing branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, founded in 1813. In 1992, the Bessarabian Metropolis, affiliated with the Romanian Patriarchate, established itself in Moldova. For years, the Moldovan authorities and the Metropolis of Moldova resisted registering the Bessarabian Metropolis to avoid a church schism. However, in 2001, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of the Bessarabian Metropolis’ supporters, forcing the authorities to register it.

Tensions between the two metropolises have escalated in recent years, in part due to regional developments connected to the war in Ukraine.

By Sabina Mammadli