The Metropolis of Bessarabia, part of the Romanian Orthodox Church, dissociates itself from any political involvement and condemns the use of its name and the image of the metropolitan in propaganda activities. In the context of the posters that appeared on Friday in Chisinau, announcing a supposed pilgrimage to Ukraine and including the image of President Maia Sandu, the Metropolis states that this new episode is part of a broad campaign coordinated by Russian structures “which, for years, have been acting not only in the religious sphere, but also as an instrument of political influence of the so-called Russian world”, IPN reports.
According to the Metropolis of Bessarabia, after the incident on July 30—when well-organized and coordinated individuals distributed brochures with manipulative content throughout all sectors of Chisinau, labeling the Metropolis as “schismatic” and attacking the Romanian Patriarchate with hostile, provocative, and deeply anti-Romanian language—the same method was repeated on August 8, in an even more serious form.
The Metropolis condemns the new wave of political and religious propaganda aimed at misinforming, manipulating, and compromising the image of the Church. It also emphasizes that it does not organize any pilgrimages to Ukraine, except for those officially announced through the “EMAUS” Pilgrimage Center of the Metropolis of Bessarabia.
“We consider the use of the image of the metropolitan and our institution in propaganda actions, with the aim of causing confusion, social tension, and public discredit, to be reprehensible. The materials distributed and the methods used bear the clear mark of well-organized pro-Russian propaganda networks, which combine religious and political messages to manipulate public opinion. These campaigns seek to compromise the image of the Metropolis of Bessarabia among believers, fuel mistrust of the Romanian Patriarchate, and serve the geopolitical interests of the Russian Federation by using the Church as an instrument of influence,” the Metropolis said in a statement.
Noting that these attacks are repeated, well-funded, and synchronized, the Metropolis calls on the investigative authorities and institutions responsible for information security and public order to treat these acts with the utmost seriousness, to investigate promptly, and to punish the organizers and perpetrators of these illegal and destabilizing actions.
Believers are urged not to be influenced by propaganda materials and to verify information only from official sources.
“We address all the spiritual sons and daughters of the Metropolis of Bessarabia with the exhortation to remain steadfast in faith, united around the Truth of Christ and our Mother Church,” says the Metropolis, reaffirming its mission “to serve the people with sacrificial love, to preserve the Orthodox faith and Romanian identity unaltered, and to work tirelessly for the salvation of all, in a spirit of truth, justice, and unity—remaining a testimony to the victory of light over darkness and peace over division.”
On Friday evening, the police announced that they had detained two foreign nationals who were putting up posters in the capital with messages inciting social, interethnic, and religious hatred. The two suspects, who speak Russian, entered the Republic of Moldova on the morning of the same day, and law enforcement agencies are investigating their possible involvement in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process. One of the two young men detained admitted during questioning that he had previously participated in training camps on organizing mass unrest.
Presidential spokesperson Igor Zaharov stated that the posters appearing on the streets of Chisinau falsely and abusively use the names of President Maia Sandu and the Metropolis of Bessarabia and represent a clear attempt to manipulate public opinion.
