Believers face up to 3 years in prison for defending their church in Moldova

Footage of the conflict at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Grinăuți, July 2025. Photo: TV8.md

On November 4, 2025, a court in Moldova began proceedings against six residents of Grinăuți, Rîșcani District. The parishioners are accused of attacking a priest and his family after a dispute in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, reports Moldovan TV channel TV8.md.

The incident occurred on July 15, 2025, when the parish rector, Fr. Constantin Turturianu, announced his intention to move the community from the canonical Metropolis of Moldova to the Bessarabian Metropolis, which is subordinate to the Romanian Patriarchate. After the majority of parishioners voted against the transfer, Fr. Constantin refused to leave the church, provoking a confrontation.

At the parish meeting, nine people voted in favor of the transfer, 267 opposed it, and eight abstained. Despite the clear outcome, Fr. Constantin refused to vacate the temple, which led to the conflict with the faithful.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the six accused – aged between 38 and 59 – are charged with hooliganism. They face a fine of up to 52,500 lei (about €2,700), community service, or imprisonment for up to three years.

Local parishioners consider the charges unjust and see the case as an act of pressure against the faithful of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, which remains under the canonical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova appealed to the Vice President of the United States for help.

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