Moldovan Metropolis bishop and faithful blocked inside a church in Moldova

Archbishop Petru of Ungheni and Nisporeni. Photo: Facebook, Episcopia de Ungheni și Nisporeni

In the village of Dereneu, Călărași District (Moldova), police officers and carabinieri blocked the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, where Archbishop Petru of Ungheni and Nisporeni and faithful of the Moldovan Metropolis were present. The eparchy reported this on its Facebook page, calling on people to pray for the hierarch and the community.

On February 10, Archbishop Petru arrived in Dereneu together with nearly 160 priests and monastics of the eparchy to support the parish, which for two weeks had not been allowed into the church. In front of the church, security forces formed a cordon. The hierarch, together with the clergy, served an akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “Soothe My Sorrows” and addressed the faithful with words of encouragement, emphasizing the importance of confessing the faith and defending holy things. Later, the clergy and parishioners managed to enter the church.

According to the eparchy, police blocked all entrances and the church’s windows. In cold weather, the church doors were held open.

Local media relayed a police statement claiming that a group of priests of the Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova allegedly entered the church “in defiance of established restrictions” and provoked a breach of public order. The mayor of the locality, a priest’s lawyer, and several other individuals were detained and placed in custody for 72 hours. The Party of Socialists of Moldova called what was happening an act of political intimidation and stated that believers’ right to freedom of religion was being violated.

The bishop and some of the faithful remained blocked inside the church throughout the night. Those inside were not allowed to receive food or medicine.

On the morning of February 11, Archbishop Petru served the Divine Liturgy in the church. Later, parishioners managed to pass firewood and food into the church.

The confrontation around the Orthodox shrine continues. The faithful are maintaining a prayer vigil on the grounds of their church.

As the UOJ previously reported, on February 8, following a decision of the Supreme Court of Justice transferring ownership rights to the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church, police blocked access to the church, and Archbishop Petru was forced to serve outdoors in the courtyard.

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