https://en.sputniknews.africa/20250418/chisinau-increases-pressure-on-moldovan-orthodox-church-patriarch-kirills-aide-says-1072056016.html
Chisinau Increases Pressure on Moldovan Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill's Aide Says
Chisinau Increases Pressure on Moldovan Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill's Aide Says
Sputnik Africa
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Chisinau is pressuring the Moldovan Orthodox Church in order to destroy its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate, Nikolay Balashov, an... 18.04.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-04-18T17:57+0200
2025-04-18T17:57+0200
2025-04-18T17:57+0200
international
moscow
russia
israel
moldova
jesus christ
christianity
orthodox christians
religion
russophobia
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/04/12/1072054587_0:203:3136:1966_1920x0_80_0_0_0de140e62e9f6eb24bb3c18a9a77d042.jpg
On Thursday, Moldovan media reported that Bishop Markell of Balti and Falesti was detained at the Chisinau airport for a lengthy security check, which ultimately prevented him from boarding his flight to Israel on time. He was supposed to go to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Fire for Moldova during the annual Great Saturday ceremony. He also said that a dozen people in the Moldovan Orthodox Church clergy have been questioned by the country's authorities in recent days.
moscow
russia
israel
moldova
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2025
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
News
en_EN
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
international, moscow, russia, israel, moldova , jesus christ, christianity, orthodox christians, religion, russophobia, russian orthodox church, church, orthodox church
international, moscow, russia, israel, moldova , jesus christ, christianity, orthodox christians, religion, russophobia, russian orthodox church, church, orthodox church
Chisinau Increases Pressure on Moldovan Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill's Aide Says
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Chisinau is pressuring the Moldovan Orthodox Church in order to destroy its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate, Nikolay Balashov, an aide to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, told Sputnik on Friday.
On Thursday, Moldovan media reported that Bishop Markell of Balti and Falesti was detained at the Chisinau airport for a lengthy security check, which ultimately prevented him from boarding his flight to Israel on time. He was supposed to go to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Fire for Moldova during the annual Great Saturday ceremony.
"The Chisinau authorities have recently been increasing pressure on the clergy of the Moldovan Orthodox Church, in every possible way seeking to destroy the canonical relations of this self-governing church with the Moscow Patriarchate and with the Orthodox world as a whole. I recall that in this case, [Bishop Markell] was not allowed to make a pilgrimage trip to the Jerusalem Patriarchate," Balashov said.
He also said that a dozen people in the Moldovan Orthodox Church clergy have been questioned by the country's authorities in recent days.
"Apparently, in the understanding of the Moldovan authorities, religious freedom exists only for those who go to the 'correct' church of the so-called Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, a subdivision of the Romanian Patriarchate. This is the way to Europe for you," Balashov added.
