Republic of Moldova

Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia marks 50th birthday

His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrates his 50th birthday on Wednesday. He was born on June 11, 1975, in Puhoi, Anenii Noi District, in the Republic of Moldova. He entered monastic life at Neamț Monastery in 2007 and was ordained a hierodeacon and later a hieromonk at St Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest in…

Jun 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru: Parents are a living icon for children in a spiritually noisy world

In a message marking International Children’s Day, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia emphasized the vital role of parents as models and “living icons” for their children. His Eminence described children as “the most precious treasure of the Church and of the nation,” noting their “pure souls and luminous eyes.” Quoting Saint Basil the Great,…

Jun 3, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Moldovan Parliament Speaker meets Metropolitan Petru to discuss religious heritage restoration and church-state cooperation

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia met on Monday with Igor Grosu, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Father Gabriel-Andrei Gherasă, Administrative Vicar of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, and Archdeacon Iurie Saganovschi, Secretary of…

May 19, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bessarabia Metropolis to mark Centennial with prayer and national thanksgiving in Chișinău

The Metropolis of Bessarabia will celebrate its centennial on Thursday with a special prayer service at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Chișinău. The Divine Liturgy will be presided over by Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, with concelebrants including Bishop Antonie of Bălți, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia, and Assistant Bishop Nectarie…

May 6, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

President Maia Sandu meets Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, highlights Church’s role in promoting peace and social support

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia met with President Maia Sandu of the Republic of Moldova on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Chișinău. President Sandu emphasised the essential role played by the Romanian Orthodox Church, through the Metropolis of Bessarabia, in the lives of local communities, not only as a guardian of Christian values…

Apr 21, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bessarabia Orthodox bishops join charity campaign to support Easter meals for needy families

Hierarchs from the Metropolis of Bessarabia were seen on Saturday shopping in various commercial centers—not for themselves, but for the Easter meals of families in need. After expressing support last week for the national campaign “The Table of Joy” (Masa Bucuriei), the bishops are now directly involved in the initiative organized by the Diaconia Social…

Apr 14, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru celebrates Annunciation in Chișinău, ordains priest for Ungheni parish

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation on Monday—according to the unrevised Julian calendar—at the Church of “Saint John Jacob” in Chișinău’s Ciocana district. Fr. Anatolie Goncear, parish priest of the “Three Holy Hierarchs” Church in Chișinău, delivered the sermon during the Divine Liturgy, emphasizing the importance of a humble…

Apr 10, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru celebrates 56 years of monastic life during parish anniversary in Ungheni

Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday in Ungheni, marking the 56th anniversary of his monastic life, alongside two milestone celebrations of the local parish dedicated to Saint Joseph the Merciful, Metropolitan of Moldavia. On this occasion, Fr. Gabriel-Andrei Gherasă, dean of the Ungheni parish, celebrated seven years of priestly ministry and…

Apr 1, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Petru: Bessarabia’s 1918 Union was a providential act, not a closed chapter

On Thursday, His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia delivered a message marking the 107th anniversary of Bessarabia’s Union with Romania, emphasizing God’s work in the history of Romanians beyond the Prut River and the courage of their forebears. “Union, beloved brothers and sisters, is not a closed chapter, but a sacred work that must be…

Mar 27, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolis of Bessarabia supports ban on plastic funeral wreaths in environmental talks

Representatives of the Metropolis of Bessarabia took part in consultations with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova regarding the reduction of plastic funeral wreaths, which are highly polluting. The meeting took place on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters and was attended by Fr. Maxim Melinti, Cultural Advisor to the Archdiocese of Chișinău,…

Mar 27, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Interim President pays tribute to Bessarabian Union founders at Monastery ceremony

Interim President Ilie Bolojan and Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia paid tribute on Wednesday to the founders of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, during a ceremony at Cernica Monastery in Ilfov County. The interim President of Romania was received by His Grace Bishop Veniamin and Archimandrite Vasile Pîrjol, the abbot of Cernica Monastery, in…

Mar 26, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu