The pilgrimages organized and financially supported by the Russian Patriarchate for the clergy of the Republic of Moldova are a spiritual, not a political initiative, the Metropolitan Church of Chisinau and All Moldova said in a press release. According to the source, quoted by IPN, through these pilgrimages, the Moscow Metropolitan Church wanted to support priests from parishes with limited resources, especially in rural areas of Moldova, but also to “strengthen cooperation and fraternal ties between the Orthodox clergy of the two countries”
The Metropolitan Church of Moldova noted that in these pilgrimages, the priests of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova had the opportunity to visit the holy places of the Russian Federation. “This initiative was taken with the aim of familiarizing the Moldovan clergy with the spiritual and historical heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church and of strengthening fraternal ties between these two Orthodox Churches,” reads the press release.
According to the Metropolitan Church of Moldova, erroneous interpretations of those pilgrimages appeared in the public space, the priests being accused of going to Moscow for political and propaganda purposes. “The priests who returned from Moscow denied any form of financial aid received from those who hosted them. At the same time, the Metropolitan Church of Moldova reaffirmed its commitment to maintain the integrity of its clergy and to keep the Orthodox Church of Moldova out of any political influences,” wrote the Church.
According to the quoted source, the Russian Patriarchate stressed that these fraternal pilgrimages will continue in the coming period, including through visits to monasteries in the Moscow region and other areas of Russia, being aimed at “strengthening cooperation and fraternal ties between the Orthodox clergy of the two countries and at extending the community and solidarity within the Universal Orthodox Church.”
An investigation published by deschide.md shows that a group of more than 20 church officials on August 20 this year flied to Moscow where they were met with expensive food and drinks and were welcomed by high-ranking representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate. The trips were allegedly organized by the fugitive politician Ilan Shor. Upon their return, the priests were to receive from the Russian Patriarchate MIR cards issued by Promsvyazbank, to which salaries and aid for the church were to be transferred. Today deschide.md wrote that a number of the priests who went on a “pilgrimage” to Russia yesterday decided to return home after the publication of the investigation. Immediately after landing in Moscow, at least six priests bought plane tickets and turned back.
Two days after the investigation appeared, the Metropolitan Church of Chisinau and All Moldova denied that it had sent priests to Moscow. It noted that it did not organize or coordinate the pilgrimages made by a number of priests of the Orthodox Church of Moldova to Moscow. At the same time, the Orthodox Church vehemently condemned the involvement of clergy in politics.
