The Party of Communists’ candidate for the mayoralty of Chisinau Vasili Chirtoca met with the Metropolitan Bishop of Chisinau and All Moldova Vladimir at the Metropolitan Church in the afternoon of May 26, IPN reports, quoting the candidate’s press service.

“I couldn’t do otherwise,” said Vasili Chirtoca. “Being an Orthodox Christian, I wouldn’t have felt fully ready for the competition for the post of mayor general of Chisinau without the blessing and guidance of His Holiness Vladimir.”

The Metropolitan Bishop of Chisinau and All Moldova Vladimir accepted Vasili Chirtoca’s request with benevolence and had a discussion of half an hour with him.

According to the communique, Vasili Chirtoca is for keeping the Orthodox values in Moldova and is a supporter of the traditional family. He took an active part and offered multilateral assistance in restoring Moldovan churches and monasteries, in particular those of Capriana and Curchi. He was awarded the highest order of the Moldovan Metropolitan Church “Stephan the Great”.