The Synod of the Metropolis of Bessarabia nominated two candidates on Monday for Bishop of Bălți: Archimandrites Nicodim Petre and Dosoftei Dijmărescu. The Metropolis of Bessarabia will submit their candidacies to the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chișinău, chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Territories, who is serving as locum tenens of the Diocese of Bălți.
His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia and His Grace Assistant Bishop Nectarie of Bogdania of the Archdiocese of Chișinău attended the meeting.
The two candidates were nominated through an open consultation, followed by a secret ballot, in accordance with the Romanian Orthodox Church’s statutory provisions.
Metropolitan Antonie subsequently chaired a consultation meeting with the clergy and lay members of the Diocesan Assembly of the Diocese of Bălți, in the presence of the two bishops.
Following a vote, the assembly retained the list of candidates proposed by the Metropolitan Synod.
Who are the two candidates?
Archimandrite Nicodim Petre is an adviser in the Mission, Statistics and Pastoral Planning Department of the Archdiocese of Iași and abbot of Bucium Monastery, where he was installed on 23 December 2018.
For more than a decade, Fr Nicodim has supported the Romanian Orthodox Mission in Tanzania, contributing to fundraising and organising logistical support for missionary activities at the Kidamali Centre.
Archimandrite Dosoftei Dijmărescu is the cultural exarch of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți and a monk at Putna Monastery.
Having graduated in mathematics in Bucharest, Fr. Dosoftei was involved in the activities of the Association of Romanian Orthodox Christian Students (ASCOR) before entering monastic life.
Gratitude for pastoral ministry
At the end of the meeting, members of the Diocesan Assembly of the Diocese of Bălți thanked Metropolitan Antonie for his pastoral work in northern Moldova.
They highlighted his support for parish communities and clergy, his contribution to the construction and beautification of places of worship, and the development of missionary, educational, social and charitable activities.
Members of the Diocesan Assembly expressed their hope that the future Bishop of Bălți would continue this pastoral and missionary work, helping to strengthen Church life throughout the diocese.
