Metropolitan Bishop asked not to hand over Holy Fire to Premier

The Metropolitan Bishop of Chisinau and all Moldova Vladimir is asked not to allow Prime Minister Vlad Filat to mount the platform in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral on the Easter night and not to give him the Holy Fire until he repents publicly. The call was made by a group of Orthodox young people. They said that Vlad Filat is the author of the ‘nondiscrimination wrongdoing’ that is aimed at subduing the Christian majority to the sexual minorities, Info-Prim Neo reports. In their call to the Metropolitan Bishop, the Orthodox young people from different bishoprics of the Orthodox Church say they are concerned and indignant that the Premier was allowed this year again to finance and organize the bringing of the Holy Fire and to spread it on the Easter night. “This head of Government hurt and continues to hurt the Orthodox Church. He does not even hide his hatred towards the Church and everything that means normality and value. Moreover, we were witnesses to Bolshevik-like anti-Church repression as the churches were searched, the people were intimidated and misinformed and the right to freedom of expression was limited,” a member of the initiative group Ion Pelin said in a news conference. The young man addressed several questions to the Metropolitan Bishop, saying these are ordinary questions of the faithful that he represents. “Why should you be part of the Easter PR by which this adventurer aims to improve his electoral rating? Why don’t you stop him from taking part in holy activities, but you even give him communion and allow him to spread the Holy Light?” asked Ion Pelin. The young people said they don’t understand why the Government’s secretary general Victor Bodiu, who is considered Vlad Filat’s valet, is allowed to form part of the delegation that will bring the Holy Fire from Jerusalem. They called on all the faithful to take attitude, not to participate in the image promotion action of Vlad Filat and not to take Light from his hands. According to them, the Moldovan Metropolitan Church can spend its own money on conveying the Holy Fire and the people can contribute money without asking the Government for support.