Moldova lacks capacity to maintain 800 temples it intends to seize from Church

Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan. Photo: realitatea

Moldova's authorities have announced their intention to "return" to state ownership more than 800 religious buildings currently in use by the Orthodox Church of Moldova. According to Culture Minister Cristian Jardan, following the Court of Appeals ruling declaring the previous agreement invalid, these historical monuments should be transferred to the state, reports realitatea.md.

"These more than 800 historical monuments are returning to the state. I'll be honest: we, as a ministry, do not have the capacity to manage 800 monuments. Imagine, that's 800 buildings," the minister stated.

Jardan claims that the authorities are awaiting the final court decision, but are already planning to conduct an assessment of the buildings' condition. According to him, it is necessary to determine the state of the churches and what resources will be required for their maintenance. "There are several options, but we are waiting for the final decision," he stated.

The minister also believes that the issue is of a delicate nature and requires a "proper and balanced approach" to avoid social conflicts.

As the UOJ reported, at the end of 2025, the Chisinau Court of Appeals made a decision to annul the right of use by the Moldovan Metropolia of more than 800 religious buildings with the status of historical monuments.

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