The Supreme Court of Justice is due to decide by March 7 on the admissibility of the case initiated by the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, which challenged the contracts for the free use of 800 churches and 30 monasteries by the Metropolitanate of Moldova.
"After a struggle of more than 12 years, the end is in sight of a trial process that has been delayed by the courts by sending the case for retrial four times. This is the case of the Metropolitan of Bessarabia versus the Metropolitan of Moldova and the Ministry of Culture," wrote lawyer Iulian Rusanovschi.
Asked by IPN, representatives of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia said they want justice and to have the same right of use over these buildings.
"An abuse is actually taking place now. We want to be equal before other religious denominations with the right to use the churches whose religious communities want to join the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia," said Constantin Olariu, spokesman for the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia.
Constantin Olariu said that the annulment of the decision to offer these buildings for free use to the Moldovan Metropolitanate will have an effect not only on the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, but also on all religious denominations. "In fact, the old decision restricts the religious freedom of religious communities and forces them to worship only Moscow," the spokesman for the Metropolitan of Bessarabia added.
Asked for a reaction, the representatives of the Moldovan Metropolitan said they would come back with statements later.
On the other side, the Ministry of Culture said that, as an executive institution, it has only to respect the decision of the final court, whatever it will be, and will come back with clear information on what will happen to these buildings.
