Bishop in Moldova fined for criticizing LGBT
Archbishop Marchel criticizing the gay parade in Bălți. Photo: TV Balti
Archbishop Marchel, hierarch of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and Archbishop of Bălți and Fălești, has been ordered to pay a fine for criticizing homosexuals, according to the LGBT publication GENDERDOC-M.
The outlet claims that the archbishop publicly opposed the organization of a gay parade in the city of Bălți. He also dared to call gay people “sinners” and “lost.”
Representatives of the LGBT community told the court that the cleric’s statements “had a significant impact on their personal safety and amounted to a clear incitement to hatred and violence based on sexual orientation.” They demanded compensation for moral damages.
The court ordered the hierarch to pay each plaintiff 10,000 Moldovan lei as compensation for the suffering caused.
The decision may be appealed to the Chișinău Court of Appeals within 30 days of its issuance.
As previously reported by the UOJ, a Moldovan politician has stated that the President of Moldova may ban the Orthodox Church after the elections.
Read also
In Kharkiv region, drafters detain UOC cleric of Izium Eparchy
The priest was held for more than 72 hours, then without explanation was taken to a military unit – there is practically no contact with his family.
His Beatitude: Theophany water drives away demons' dark force from man
In his sermon before the rite of the Great Blessing of Water, the Primate of the UOC highlighted the significance of repentance and the power of holy water.
Nun from Cherkasy monastery about raiders: They had completely wild eyes
Nun Nanna gave testimony in the Cherkasy court about the events of November 20, 2023 – the day of the violent seizure of the Nativity of the Virgin Monastery.
In Dnipro, TRC detains UOC priest to send him to front
A priest of the Dnipropetrovsk Eparchy of the UOC is being held at a distribution center; believers are urged to support him with prayer.
Report: Number of Christians in Europe declines by 17 mln over past five years
A new report on the state of Christianity in Europe has recorded a decline in the number of Christian believers amid the weakening role of the church and migration processes.
Armenia to build the world's tallest statue of Jesus on Mount Hatis
The world's tallest statue of Jesus, standing 77 meters high, is being erected near Yerevan as a future pilgrimage center and a symbol of faith.