The Diaconia Social Mission of the Metropolis of Bessarabia has partnered with Catholic Relief Services to prevent the separation of children from their families and to combat domestic violence under a nine-month project titled “Community and Communion.”
Child protection and prevention of domestic violence
Implemented in the Republic of Moldova between January and September 2026, the project “Community and Communion – Under the Church’s Parental Care: The Person, the Family and the Child” aims to strengthen positive attitudes toward family-based care, reduce harmful social norms related to violence, disability and institutionalisation, and increase awareness of the importance of a safe and loving family environment for children’s upbringing and protection.
The initiative is aligned with national child-protection priorities and builds on experience gained through the global Changing the Way We Care programme, drawing on existing partnerships among public authorities, civil-society organisations and the Orthodox Church.
The role of priests in supporting families
Through this project, the Diaconia Social Mission will engage local communities to support families and prevent child separation, while promoting priests as key community leaders.
Sixteen priests from the Metropolis of Bessarabia will participate in a structured training programme designed to strengthen positive attitudes toward family care, reinforce social support networks, and facilitate families’ access to concrete forms of assistance.
The project will include training sessions, training-of-trainers courses, and youth workshops, enabling priests to promote messages of non-violence, respect, and human dignity, and to raise awareness of the various forms of violence that can occur within families.
At the end of the project, participating priests will have the opportunity to share lessons learned and success stories.
The initiative is part of the 2026 solemn year theme dedicated to the pastoral care of the Christian family within the Romanian Patriarchate.
Photo: diaconia.md
