After six priests two weeks ago were defrocked by the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, which is canonically subordinated to the Patriarchate of Moscow, because they joined the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, which is part of the Romanian Patriarchate, 13 other bishoprics in several days will leave the Metropolitan Church of Moldova. Next week these churches will receive the registration documents from the Public Services Agency, IPN reports, quoting RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service.

One of the bishoprics that already changed the metropolitan church is “Saint Archangels Mikhail and Gavril” Church of Malcoci village of Ialoveni district. Its bishop Andrei Oistric until recently served as the dean of the Faculty of Pastoral Theology of the Orthodox Theology Academy that is part of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova.

“I studied in Suceava and in Bucharest and I have always been closer to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia. I devoted more than half of my life to theological education: 13 years I worked as a teacher, spiritual father and vice director of the Girls’ Theological Lyceum Seminar “Regina Maria” and another 12 years I worked at the Theological Academy, 10 of which I served as a dean. My feelings for the Romanian orthodoxy weren’t a secret. All my mates and pupils knew this,” priest Andrei Oistric told RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service.

The bishop from Malcoci said that he first wanted to join the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia 15 years ago, when he came to the village, but the people from the community weren’t ready then. “After the war started, I received an increasing number of requests from parishioners: “Father, look how the war is supported. This is not good!”. I was also affected by this war, as my whole family was. I have relatives on both sides. I stated this wish at the end of February - the start of March and in August the bishopric of Malcoci village officially joined the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia,” explained the priest.

The transfer from one metropolitan church to another is done according to a legal procedure. The bishoprics are reregistered at the Public Services Agency. “In our village Malcoci, we staged an assembly of the parishioners and compiled proceedings that were submitted to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, the Ministry of Justice and the Public Services Agency. The Agency gave us a fiscal code and the right to have a stamp. So, all the legal rights,” said Andrei Oistric.

Since the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 60 priests form the Republic of Moldova joined the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia. Next week, 13 churches from different districts will officially join the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, sources close to these bishoprics told the Service.

Two weeks ago, the Metropolitan Church of Moldova defrocked six priests who joined the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia. For its part, the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia considers the decision to defrock the six priests is not valid as it is not justified from theological and canonic perspectives. In a press release, the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia called on all the clerics and monks who feel constrained by the Russian eparchies “to have courage and abandon this servitude and to return to the tradition and community of the Romanian Orthodox Church”.

In a letter transmitted to Russian Patriarch Kirill in September, the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldova Vladimir complained that the Metropolitan Church of Moldova loses ground owing to the war that is being waged by Russia on Ukraine and that an increasing number of priests join the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, being attracted by the higher salaries and social benefits offered by the Romanian state.