Vlad Filat has a plan aimed at discrediting Church, priests

Bishop of Balti and Falesti Marchel does not intend to take the place of Metropolitan Bishop Vladimir. A group of priests of the Bishopric said the information that Bishop Marchel is to become the Metropolitan Bishop of Chisinau and All Moldova is erroneous and forms part of a plan of Prime Minister Vlad Filat that is aimed at dividing the Orthodox Church of Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Premier wants to remove Bishop Marchel from the administration of the Bishopric of Balti and Falesti because he protests against the Law on Guaranteeing of Equality, the priests said in a news conference on Wednesday. According to them, the Bishop was threatened for several times and told to stop the protests. ”It is a plan designed to reduce our Bishop to silence and to remove him from the post and the composition of the Church,” said Deacon Maxim Guzun. The priests stressed that Bishop Marchel is on good terms with the Metropolitan Bishop Vladimir and asked calling the General Assembly of the Church of Moldova. “We hope that this meeting will decide convoking the Holy Synod, which can take a decision to stop the protests. We will then comply. We will not go to the streets, but will continue to fight for the moral security and survival,” said Maxim Guzun. The priests said that the next steps that the Premier will take to discredit the Church will include inventing rumors that Bishop Marchel became involved in politics. “We oppose such a thing and will defend our Bishop at all costs,” stressed Maxim Guzun. “We are concerned about the future or our children. We do not want them to accuse us of being on friendly terms with pro-homosexual activists.” According to the priests, about 100 priests from the northern districts of the country make common cause with the Bishop of Balti and Falesti in protesting against the Law on Guaranteeing of Equality. They assured they will obey the Metropolitan Bishop Vladimir, but will not remain indifferent to what’s going on.