Moldovan bishop: "To Christian Europe I say yes, to gay Europe – no”

Archbishop Markel. Photo: Reuters

Archbishop Markel, one of the leading hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, has spoken out sharply against the imposition of the LGBT agenda in the European Union in his comment to Reuters.

“This is the gravest sin,” the Archbishop told Reuters. “To cultural, Christian Europe I say ‘yes.’ To gay Europe I say ‘no.’ If you come with the gays, then it is better you do not come at all.”

His statements came on the eve of the September 28 parliamentary elections, which may determine Moldova’s geopolitical future.

Reuters accused the Russian Orthodox Church of trying to influence the elections, claiming that during a pilgrimage of Moldovan Orthodox clergy in 2024, priests were issued debit cards from a Russian state bank with hundreds of dollars credited to them.

Archbishop Markel explained that the bank cards were issued so that clergy could purchase religious items in church shops during the pilgrimage.

The Archbishop dismissed as baseless and fabricated any talk of a Russian campaign to sway the vote, calling it a convenient excuse to mask the inability of Moldovan leaders to meet the needs of their citizens.

Earlier, President Maia Sandu claimed that ROC clergy influence elections by spreading propaganda.

Read also