His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia called for support in combating religious disinformation during a meeting with Iwona Piórko, the European Union’s Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova.
The meeting took place last Friday at the headquarters of the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chișinău, with Igor Belei, social affairs adviser to the Archdiocese of Chișinău and Executive Director of the Diaconia Social Mission, present.
Institutional cooperation
During the discussions, Metropolitan Antonie drew attention to messages portraying the European Union as hostile to Christianity, tradition and the family.
His Eminence stressed that such messages spread mistrust and make society more vulnerable to propaganda.
In this context, the metropolitan called for support in developing tools to combat religious disinformation through education, accurate information and institutional cooperation.
Metropolis of Bessarabia’s openness to dialogue
Ambassador Iwona Piórko welcomed the Metropolis of Bessarabia’s openness to dialogue and cooperation, as well as the contribution of religious communities to preserving traditions, identity and social solidarity.
During the meeting, Igor Belei presented the work of the Diaconia Social Mission, focusing on developing its Food Bank, reducing food waste, and supporting vulnerable people.
The participants also discussed domestic violence prevention projects, carried out with the involvement of parish communities and in cooperation with UN Women.
At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Antonie reaffirmed the Metropolis of Bessarabia’s support for the Republic of Moldova’s European integration, emphasising the importance of respecting religious freedom and the rights of faith communities.
In a message published on its official Facebook page, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova stated that “EU support for the Republic of Moldova is in line with the Orthodox Church’s commitment to education, charitable activities and community solidarity”.
