The “Bessarabia” Association of the Romanians from the Odesa region would like 2026 to be declared as “Peter Mogila Intercultural Year in Ukraine, Romania and the Republic of Moldova”.
In December 2023, the association sent an open letter to the three countries’ presidents. On February 26, 2024, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that it had taken note of the initiative of the Romanians from the Odesa region.
According to Anatol Popescu, the president of the National-Cultural Association of Romanians “Bessarabia”, the reply letter of the MFA states that “the deepening of the political-diplomatic dialogue between Romania and Ukraine, including in the context of the war of aggression unleashed by the Russian Federation, aims, among other things, to promote the common historical and cultural heritage, in which the figure of Peter Mogila plays a central role.”
The association’s president adds, “MFA also assures us of bringing the proposal to the fore in the dialogue with the relevant authorities in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.”
Saint Peter Mogila (Petro Mohyla or Pyotr Mogila), born in 1596 in Moldavia (modern-day Romania), played a crucial role in the 17th-century Eastern Orthodox Church, particularly the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Serving as the Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych, he confronted external challenges, such as the influence of the Catholic Church and internal divisions within the Orthodox Church. Mogila is renowned for his efforts to reform and fortify the Orthodox Church, notably by compiling and publishing the “Orthodox Confession.”
This work aimed to articulate and defend the doctrinal and liturgical traditions of the Orthodox Church against influences from Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Despite his passing in 1646, Saint Peter Mogila’s legacy endures, and he is remembered as a significant figure in Eastern Christian history for his contributions to theological clarity and church reform.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro Files
Follow us on X (Twitter): @BasilicaNews
