Republic of Moldova

Metropolitan Antonie calls for reconciliation and unity as Metropolis of Bessarabia marks 34 years since reactivation

“It is time to draw closer to one another, so that common prayer and active love may prepare the way for communion and unity within our ancestral Church,” Metropolitan Antonie said on Monday as the Metropolis of Bessarabia marked 34 years since its reactivation. Metropolitan Antonie celebrated a Te Deum service at the Metropolitan Chapel…

Sep 15, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolis of Bessarabia marks 34 years since restoration after Soviet rule

Monday marked 34 years since the Diocesan Assembly in Chișinău decided, on 14 September 1992, to reactivate the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church noted the decision on 19 December 1992 through a Patriarchal and Synodal Act, recognising it as an autonomous metropolis following the unrevised calendar, an integral part…

Sep 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Veniamin urges young people to combine knowledge, character and faith

Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia issued a message at the start of the 2026–2027 school year to pupils, students, parents, and teachers, urging young people to combine the acquisition of knowledge with character formation and the cultivation of faith, while emphasising that true wisdom has its source in God. The Bishop of Southern Bessarabia recalled…

Sep 7, 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

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 attends Republic of Moldova independence anniversary, discusses dialogue with Metropolitan Vladimir

His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia attended a solemn session on Wednesday marking 35 years since the proclamation of the Republic of Moldova’s independence. The event was held at the Presidential Palace in Chișinău. The anniversary gathering was attended by President Maia Sandu of the Republic of Moldova, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, members of the…

Aug 26, 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

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

Orthodox Christians following unrevised Julian calendar begin Dormition Fast

Orthodox Christians who follow the unrevised calendar begin the Dormition Fast on Friday, 14 August, a two-week period that ends in late August. It is one of the year’s strictest fasting periods, comparable to the Great Lent before Easter. During this period, meat, eggs and dairy products are not consumed, while fish is permitted only…

Aug 14, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu