Moldovan, Transdniestrian Leaders Visit Mount Athos with Moldovan Orthodox Metropolitan

Moldovan Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and President Yevgeniy V. Shevchuk of the breakaway state of Transdniestria in eastern Moldova have begun a joint pilgrimage with Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of the Moldovan Orthodox Church to Mount Athos. The leaders are described as being "on a private visit to jointly pray at the ancient monasteries on Mount Athos." The pilgrimage is the latest in a series of informal contacts between the two. More here.

Religion Curriculum Issued in Moldova

The Moldovan Ministry of Education has issued a curriculum for the teaching of the Orthodox Faith in Moldovan schools. As religion can only be taught in Moldova's primary and secondary schools at the request of students' parents the Moldovan Orthodox Church has called on its faithful in the country to approach their local schools about the organization of religion classes. More (in Romanian) here.

Moldova, Gagauzia Dispute Romanian-Language Education

Tensions have risen in Moldova between the central government and the government of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, which has blamed the Moldovan government for failing to provide sufficient funds for the teaching of Romanian as a second language to Gagauz high school students, 10% of whom failed their final exams because of their inability to pass sections on the Romanian language and literature. More here.

Gagauzia, situated in southern Moldova, is the homeland of Moldova's Gagauz minority, a Turkic nation that settled in Bessarabia centuries ago and adopted Orthodox Christianity instead of the Islam of the Crimean Tatars to their east and the Ottoman Turks to their south. Although there were fears that the pro-Russian Gagauz would seek to secede from Moldova as Russians and Ukrainians in eastern Moldova did after the fall of the USSR the Gagauz instead negotiated autonomy for predominantly Gagauz districts in Moldova.

Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan of Chisinau Meet in Constantinople

Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of the Moldovan Orthodox Church has met with Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople at the close of a pilgrimage to the holy places of Turkey. During their visit the two first hierarchs discussed the development of church life in Moldova and the former USSR and also in Turkey. More (in Romanian) here.

Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau Interviewed on Moldovan Orthodoxy, Relations with the EU

In an interview Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of the Moldovan Orthodox Church has accused the European Union of trying to use loans to the Moldovan government as a means of enacting laws in Moldova "alien to [Moldovan] spiritual and moral traditions." During the interview Metropolitan Vladimir also expressed his opposition to the official registration of Moldova's Muslim League and his hope for the Synaxis of All the Saints of Moldova to be included in the general calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. More (in Russian) here.

Constantinopolitan, Moldovan Orthodox Metropolitans Meet in Chisinau

As part of his ongoing visit to Moldova with relics of St. Demetrius the Great-Martyr Metropolitan Panteleimon of Berea of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church in Greece has met with Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau at the seat of the Moldovan Orthodox Church in Chisinau. The two discussed possible areas of cooperation between their respective Churches and compared religious education in Greece with efforts to develop religious education in Moldova. More (in Romanian) here.

Right to Life Rally in Chisinau

In honor of today's observance of International Children's Day pro-life organizations and the Moldovan Orthodox Church have organized a march in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, to support the right to life of unborn children. Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau blessed the holding of the march and sent one of his clergymen to represent him as he was unable to attend in person. More (in Romanian) here.

Photo of the Day: Concelebration in Chisinau

Pictured are hierarchs of the Churches of Greece and Moldova concelebrating in the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Chisinau, Moldova, after the arrival in the city of relics of St. Demetrius.

Moldovan Orthodox Local Synod Discusses Upcoming Patriarchal Visit

The Local Synod of the Moldovan Orthodox Church began meeting yesterday to discuss issues in the life of the Orthodox Church in Moldova. Among other things the Local Synod approved the establishment of a commission on the glorification of saints and the development of plans for the upcoming visit of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow to Moldova this coming fall. More (in Romanian) here.

After their meeting the members of the Local Synod met with Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat to discuss recent changes in laws regulating religious organizations in Moldova. Filat agreed to establish a commission to review the new laws that would include representatives of both the Moldovan government and the Moldovan Orthodox Church. More (in Romanian) here.

Metropolitanate of Chisinau Holds Assembly

The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Chisinau and Bessarabia, established by the Bucharest Patriarchate on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church in the former USSR, has held its annual Metropolitan Assembly in Chisinau, Moldova. At the Metropolitan Assembly the holding of nominations for new diocesan bishops under the Metropolitanate, the Romanian Orthodox Church's educational work in Moldova, and the reception of parishes from the canonical Moldovan Orthodox Church were discussed. More (in Romanian) here.

Constantinopolitan Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Transdniestria

Metropolitan Panteleimon of Beroia of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church in Greek-occupied Macedonia visited the breakaway Republic of Transdniestria in Moldova over the weekend at the invitation of Bishop Savva (Volkov) of Tiraspol' to celebrate the legacy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the formation of the Slavonic language and the conversion of the Slavs to Orthodoxy. More (in Greek) here.

Moldovans Protest Recognition of Islam

Moldovans carrying signs saying "Moldova - Orthodox Land!" have rallied in Chisinau to protest the Moldovan government's registration of the Islamic League, an organization representing the country's Muslim minority. The associations sponsoring the rallies are connected with the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which has reacted strongly to the move to register the Islamic League despite the tiny size of the Muslim community in Moldova (somewhere between 2,000 and 17,000 out of 3,500,000). More here.

Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Transdniestria

Metropolitan Ahafangel (Savvin) of Odessa of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church has traveled to the internationally unrecognized Transdniestrian Republic on the territory of eastern Moldova to serve the reburial of an imperial Russian general in the republic. During his time in Transdniestria Metropolitan Ahafangel met with the Transdniestrian president, praising him for ensuring "that the friendship between the peoples of Kievan Rus' should be eternal and unshakable." More here.

Moldovan Orthodox Clergy Express Reservations Over Legal Protections for Moldovan Muslims

A special meeting of the clergy of the Moldovan Orthodox Church's Deanery of Criuleni and Dubasari has been held to allow the clergy to discuss with Moldovan officials draft laws that would protect the rights of the country's Muslims. Although the officials present downplayed the possibility in Moldova of the Islamist terrorist activities that have troubled other parts of the former USSR some of the clergy present expressed concern over the protection of the country's small Muslim minority on the possibility of Islamism spreading in Moldova. More (in Romanian) here.

Moldovan Muslims Disappointed by Anti-Muslim Remarks

The leader of Moldova's Islamic League has expressed disappointment over anti-Muslim remarks made in recent months by Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and members of the Moldovan government, saying that the country's small Muslim minority is not interested in the fundamentalism sweeping the Middle East and is more concerned with building good relations with the other religions present in Moldova. More here.

Interview with Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau

An interesting Romanian-language interview with Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau on the situation of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and Romanians from Moldova abroad can be found here.

Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau on the Roma

During the celebrations in Moldova last week marking the International Day of the Roma the Moldovan Orthodox Church's Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau sent a message noting the great suffering the Roma underwent during World War II and saying in part that, "Every small nation, every ethnicity has the right to exist and peaceful existence because 'there is no longer Jew nor Greek, slave nor free...'" During the celebrations the leader of Moldova's Roma, Arthur, was awarded the Order of St. Paisius (Velichkovskiy) of Neamts. More here.

Moldovan Orthodox Church Discusses Preservation, Restoration Issues with Moldovan Government

A meeting between Moldovan officials and members of the Moldovan Orthodox Church has been held to discuss the preservation and restoration of the country's historic churches and monasteries. More here.

Moldovan Orthodox Local Synod Meets in Chisinau

The Local Synod of the Moldovan Orthodox Church met today under Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau to discuss recent changes to Moldova's laws regulating religious organizations. The hierarchs also discussed the expansion of the Church's local involvement in providing social services (in particular health issues and abuse) to the Moldovan public and the upcoming visit of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow to Moldova this October. More here.

Moldovan Government Withdraws Anti-Discrimination Bill

The Moldovan government has withdrawn an anti-discrimination bill from parliamentary consideration that would have protected the country's minorities and brought it closer to association with the European Union. More here.