The Ministry of Justice suggests banning by law the Church from interfering in politics so that no priest is allowed to campaign or run in elections. Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim Wednesday presented a relevant bill to the parliamentary commission on human rights and interethnic relations, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Ministry also proposes changing the name of the law from the Law on Denominations and their Components into the Law on the Freedom of Conscience, Thinking and Religion. “A number of experts said the notion of cult is associated more with a sect. That’s why we consider the phrase ‘religious cult’ should be replaced with ‘religious organization’,” Oleg Efrim said in the public discussions on the bill. Under the bill, a religious organization is registered within 30 days of the submission of the required documents, including an application signed by at least 100 founders who are Moldovan citizens. Oleg Efrim said the adoption of this law by the end of 2011 is provided in the Moldova-EU Plan of Action. Attending the discussions, Archpriest of the Bishopric of Balti and Falesti Marchel expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that the procedure for registering religious organizations was excessively simplified. “The procedure should be toughened up as the killer religious groups can easily come and register in our country,” he stated. The archpriest proposed that Moldova should follow the example of the EU countries, where there is state religion. “We believe that the Orthodox Church should have the status of national religion,” he said. The members of the commission on human rights and interethnic relations said they are against using the phrase ‘religious organization’, arguing it is too general and can allow registering organizations pursuing other kinds of goals. They said there should be used the term ‘denomination’. The commission’s head, Communist MP Vadim Misin reiterated the call to the representatives of religious groups to submit proposals for improving the law. The fate of the bill will be decided next week.