Metropolis of Bessarabia

Metropolitan Antonie urges Bessarabian students to know their Romanian language, history and identity

“A dignified future can only be built through knowing and embracing one’s own identity,” Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia told students at the Ion Creangă Pedagogical College in Bălți, Republic of Moldova, on Tuesday. In his message marking the start of the new school and academic year, the Metropolitan of Bessarabia emphasised that education is not…

Sep 2, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie: Romanian language is one of the deepest expressions of our continuity

Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia issued a message on Monday for Romanian Language Day, saying the occasion “calls us to honour one of the deepest expressions of our continuity”. “Language is the spiritual matrix of a people, the archive of its sensibility, the memory of its sufferings and victories, as well as the most faithful expression…

Aug 31, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia: Dormition reveals the victory of life in Christ

“The Dormition of the Mother of God reveals to us the victory of life in Christ and her unceasing closeness to those who call upon her in prayer,” Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia said on Friday, when the Dormition was celebrated according to the unrevised calendar. Metropolitan Antonie celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the parish’s patronal…

Aug 31, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian President Nicușor Dan meets Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia in Chișinău

His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia received Romanian President Nicușor Dan on Thursday at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. The meeting took place during the Romanian president’s visit marking the 35th anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s proclamation of independence. The delegation welcomed by Metropolitan Antonie included Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, Romania’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to…

Aug 28, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie commemorates St Stephen the Great’s soldiers at Battle of Lipnic anniversary

The Battle of Lipnic was commemorated on Thursday in northern Republic of Moldova. Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the soldiers of Saint Stephen the Great who fell in the battle against the Tatars. The commemorations started at the church in Lipnic village, with attendance including local community members,…

Aug 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie honours Orthodox women for Church service in northern Bessarabia

His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia honoured members of the Orthodox Women’s Society of the Diocese of Bălți for their involvement in the life of the Church. A ceremony took place on Monday during a meeting held at the Anastasis Educational Centre in Bălți. The event highlighted the organisation’s work over almost eight years in…

Aug 20, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania funds 11 church and monastery projects in southern Bessarabia

The Romanian Government, through the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova, is funding 11 projects to equip and develop churches and monasteries within the Diocese of Southern Bessarabia. The projects will be implemented between July and November 2026 and will include church painting, the production and acquisition of liturgical furnishings, the development of monastic…

Aug 20, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

From medicine to theology: Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia recounts his journey towards faith

His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia spoke on a ProTV Chișinău podcast about the path that led him from medical studies to theology and, subsequently, to monastic life. Metropolitan Antonie explained that his interest in theology began while he was studying medicine, when his psychiatry courses prompted questions about the existence of the soul and…

Aug 19, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan of Bessarabia on Dormition Fast: ‘Through fasting, we learn to say no to the passions’

The Dormition Fast began on Friday, 14 August, for Orthodox Christians following the unrevised Julian calendar. On this occasion, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia issued a message urging the faithful to use the fasting period to strengthen themselves spiritually. “God gives us these days to prepare ourselves to understand the great mystery of the…

Aug 18, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bessarabian deportees carried their faith into Soviet exile, Romanian priest says

Fr Viorel Cojocaru, cultural adviser to the Archdiocese of Chișinău, explained in an interview with Doxa how Bessarabians deported from the province during the Soviet period preserved their faith and hope in God amid suffering. The priest said that although they were forced to abandon their homes and possessions, many of those deported “travelled with…

Aug 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Antonie marks 24th anniversary of Metropolis of Bessarabia’s legal recognition

Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia officiated a Te Deum at the St John the Theologian Metropolitan Chapel in Chișinău on Thursday, marking 24 years since the official recognition of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, re-established after the fall of communism. The service was followed by the reading of a message from the metropolitan, who described the anniversary…

Jul 31, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu