ORTHODOX UNDER FIRE: Moldova regime blocks archbishop TWICE

ORTHODOX UNDER FIRE: Moldova regime blocks archbishop TWICE

For the 2nd time, Moldovan authorities have prevented Archbishop Markell – a vocal DEFENDER of TRADITIONAL Orthodox values – from traveling to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Fire.

▪Targeted at the Airport

On April 18, despite arriving well in advance, Archbishop Markell was again denied boarding at Chișinău airport. En route, police stopped him 4 times, forcing him to change vehicles repeatedly. Roads to the airport were deliberately blocked.

▪Harassment Campaign

Earlier this week, Markell was detained without explanation, subjected to a degrading search, and had his passport returned only after the plane had taken off.

▪Police Target

Border police later claimed he “didn’t arrive early enough.” In reality, the delay appears to be a coordinated attempt to stop him — one the Archbishop believes was carried out “on government orders.”

▪Political Target

Markell is a leading voice against Moldova’s pro-EU govt, opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage and the forced Romanianization of national identity. He also denounces the state’s role in deepening church divisions by backing the Bessarabian Church.

▪Church Under Pressure

The Archbishop is a symbol of Orthodox resistance to the Sandu regime, which sees traditional faith as an obstacle to its Western integration agenda. His unwavering stance has made him a target.

▪Holy Week Irony

Markell sees the persecution during Holy Week not as a coincidence, but as a spiritual battle — “temptation from the forces of evil,” faced in the midst of doing good.

▪ Solidarity

The blatant pressure on a high-ranking church figure has sparked strong backlash at home and abroad.

• In Moldova: Support came from opposition bloc “Victory,” the Socialist Party, public figures, and journalists.

• Internationally: Russian political leaders like Valentina Matvienko, Leonid Slutsky, and Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida stood in support, along with legendary Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, theologian Fr. Marko Eftić, and others.

As Markell made his way to the airport, young Moldovans lined the roads with candles and signs of support, ready to receive the Holy Fire that he was prevented from bringing.

▪The Fire Will Still Come

Despite the regime’s obstruction, other Moldovan clergy have reached Jerusalem and will bring the Holy Fire home. The faithful will not be denied their tradition.

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