President Maia Sandu has dismissed the allegations made by PAS lawmaker Vasile Șoimaru, who suggested that the Metropolis of Chisinau and All Moldova, commonly known as the Orthodox Church of Moldova, could face some form of closure.

“There is no such threat either to the Metropolis of Moldova or to the Metropolis of Bessarabia”, the president posted on Facebook.

On the contrary, Sandu added, the government promotes peace and understanding between the two metropolises and emphasized the importance of unity and peace in the interest of all Moldovans. “We have good relations with both Churches. Every time I meet with the representatives of the Church of Moldova and the Church of Bessarabia, I talk about the fact that we need unity and peace”, stressed the president.

On August 28, MP Vasile Șoimaru declared during a TV show that the Russian Orthodox Church could be banned in Moldova. “The time is coming when we, like Ukraine, will disassociate ourselves from the Metropolis of Moldova, which is in fact Russian. [...] I think that the metropolis problem will be resolved this coming autumn”, added Șoimaru.

The ruling Action and Solidarity Party reacted by saying Șoimaru’s personal opinion did not reflect the party’s official position.