Moldovan Orthodox Church

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The Moldovan Orthodox Church, whose territory is wholly contiguous with the current nation of Moldova, is an autonomous church under the Church of Russia.

The Republic of Moldova is an independent state in Eastern Europe where the majority of the population speaks the Romanian language. Some Moldovan politicians claim that only 2.1% of the population consider themselves to be Romanians; however, the 2005 census put this figure at over 50%.

Out of a total population of 3,388,000, 76.1% identify themselves as Moldovans (national census of 2005). 90% of the citizens of Moldova marked themselves in official documents (identity cards registration, etc.) as Orthodox Christian.

[edit] Short history

The first Christians in the present-day Moldova appeared after the voyage of apostle Andrew ^{[citation needed]} to what is nowadays Dobrogea in Romania. However they were very few until the 4th century AD, because the Latin-speaking part of the Roman Empire was not officially Christian prior to 325 ^{[citation needed]}.

In 325 Roman emperor Constantine the Great ordered Roman citizens to convert to Christianity. Moldovans/Romanians, as direct descendants of the inhabitants of the Roman province of Dacia, trace their conversion to that date, being placed at that time under the jurisdiction of the then bishoprics of Tomis (nowadays Constanţa, Romania) and Durustor (nowadays Silistra, Bulgaria).

In 1401 the Prince of Moldavia, Alexandru cel Bun, obtained from the Patriarchate of Constantinopole the right to create an autonomous Metropolitan See at Suceava with 3 bishoprics, with jurisdiction over the entire territory of the Principality of Moldavia. During the Middle Ages tensions sometimes existed between Moldavians and the Patriarch of Constantinopole, if a Greek-speaking rather than Romanian-speaking Metropolitan was named. Rarely a Greek-only-speaking Metropolitan would effectively take office, and only for a short period of time, until a politically suitable Romanian-speaking candidate could be found. The princes of Moldavia and of Wallachia during the Middle Ages considered themselves in full communion with all Christians, including Catholic ones, and had extensive diplomatic relations with the Pope, which did not contribute to good relations with their direct superior, the Patriarch of Constantinople.

From the 15th century the Patriarchate of Constantinople was forced to content itself with being responsible to the Ottoman Sultanate.

Bessarabia (the eastern half of the Principality of Moldavia) was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, including the territory constituting the Chişinău Eparchy, which gradually over the following century was placed under the Russian Orthodox Church. Its first Metropolitan was Gavriil (Bănulescu-Bodoni), a popular promoter of Moldavian/Romanian language and culture. Its last metropolitan was Anastasios, the future first-hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

In January 1918 Bessarabia proclaimed independence and in April 1918 proclaimed union with Romania. The territory of modern-day Republic of Moldova constituted part of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, under the Romanian Orthodox Church.

After World War II the territory was part of the USSR, which was very hostile to the church. The body of the church was downgraded to a Bishopric (of Chişinău and Moldova) under the Russian Orthodox Church.

With the national revival in 1988-90 a conflict developed between the laity, who preferred a return to the Romanian language and traditions in the church, and part of the clergy, who spoke only Russian, some being KGB agents and with only minimal theological training. The Bishop of Bălţi, Petru, then led a movement that transformed the former Bishopric into the Metropolitan See of Bessarabia, reviving the one existing before the Soviet occupation, placing it under the authority of the Romanian Orthodox Church but retaining a larger degree of autonomy than the other Metropolitanates of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

In October 1992 the Metropolitanate of Chişinău and Moldova was formed and granted autonomy by the Russian Orthodox Church. In the following years, with political support from pro-Russian politicians, the Metropolitanate of Chişinău and Moldova forced the majority of priests to "return" to the Russian Orthodox Church. Later the state re-registered the churches and refused to register the Metropolitanate of Bassarabia, which led to a lengthy court action that lasted until the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Moldovan state to register it in 2004. A number of parishes were allowed to return to the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia. An uneasy peace exists nowadays between the two Churches.

[edit] Current autonomy

In the lead up to the independence of Moldova, a significant part of the population wanted reunification ^{[citation needed]} with Romania rather than independence. They were encouraged by Romanian authorities and by the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Romanian Orthodox Church revived the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, granted it autonomous status and gave it authority over (part) of Moldova and other areas.

In October 1992 the Church of Russia granted autonomy to the Metropolitanate of Chişinău and Moldova, which holds the vast majority of the Orthodox population, parishes, monasteries, and churches in Moldova. This Metropolitanate is usually now known as the Moldovan Orthodox Church.

The Moldovan Orthodox Church has 1,080 parishes. The Metropolitanate of Bessarabia had about 84 parishes within the nation of Moldova at the moment of its new recognition. The Old Rite Russian Orthodox Church make up approximately 3.6% of the population.

The head of the Moldovan Orthodox Church is Metropolitan Vladimir, who is one of the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Moldovan Orthodox Church has four eparchies: Chişinău, Tiraspol and Dubăsari, Edineţi and Briceani, plus Cahul and Comrat. Church languages are Romanian and Slavonic. Church music is Byzantine and Russian. Entities are 1080 parishes, 30 monasteries, 1 academy, 2 seminaries.

The autonomous Metropolitanate of Besssarabia has parishes in Moldova, the Odessa region of Ukraine, and the Chuvash region of Russia in the Ural mountains. It was founded by the bishop of Bălţi, Petru (Paduraru) in 1992, with the support of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It was also supported by political parties opposing independence for the Republic of Moldova. It considers itself to be the heir of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia which existed in 1918-1940 during the period of Greater Romania.

Conflict continues between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church over Moldova and other areas.

Autocephalous and Autonomous Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy

Autocephalous Churches

Four Ancient Patriarchates: Constantinople | Alexandria | Antioch | Jerusalem Russia | Serbia | Romania | Bulgaria | Georgia Cyprus | Greece | Poland | Albania | Czechia and Slovakia | OCA*

Autonomous Churches

Sinai | Finland | Estonia* | Japan* | China* | Ukraine* | Western Europe* | Bessarabia* | Moldova* | Ohrid* | (ROCOR)

The * designates a church whose autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.

[edit] External link

• Information about the Moldovan Orthodox Church