The Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova, His Eminence Vladimir, has written a letter to Patriarch Kiril of Russia listing a number of concerns and grievances that have arisen among clerics over the past year and a half. Metropolitan Vladimir claims that the religious institution, which is subordinate to Moscow, is “in a state of bankruptcy” and accuses that “in Russia, both secular and ecclesiastical authorities have treated and are treating us as a peripheral and spineless people”. At the same time, His Eminence Vladimir blames Patriarch Kirill “for almost complete ignorance”, citing the lack of support “in this difficult period”.

The letter, dated 5 September 2023, published on the blog of former MP Vlad Cubreacov, former vice-chairman of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (PPCD), says that the Metropolitanate of Chisinau and the whole of Moldova “is perceived in Moldovan society as an outpost of the Kremlin and a supporter of Russian intervention in Ukraine”. Thus, “for the Orthodox Church of Moldova this link is equivalent to our disappearance from the religious and social scene of the country”. Bishop Ioan Mosneguțu, spokesman of the Moldovan Metropolitanate, confirmed the veracity of the letter to Ziarul de Gardă.

“(…) What response have we received to our requests? At best, an almost complete ignorance or promises that have most likely already been forgotten. Correspondence and negotiations have been ignored and time is passing very quickly to our disadvantage. The problem could have been solved operationally, as our Romanian neighbours do. Speed was needed to prevent priests from being constantly tempted by the Romanian state, which offers priests a guaranteed monthly salary of 800-900 euros, medical insurance, pensions and exemption of parishes from quarterly contributions (…).

Another situation that gives us cause for concern is the already traditional situation in the Transnistrian region, where bishops are appointed without the consent of the Metropolitan of Chisinau and the whole of Moldova and the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, as well as the local authorities – which for us is an inexplicable phenomenon (…)”, the letter says.

The Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova says that the impression is being created that “the Orthodox Church in Moldova is becoming increasingly unpopular in the public sphere because of its direct links with the Russian Federation” and stresses that “the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, openly supported by the Romanian Patriarchate, the Republic of Moldova and Romania, has demonstrated that it is a force that can no longer be stopped and which, it seems, wants and will obtain the restoration of its historical rights”.

“(…) Another trend that worries our people and the clergy – 80% of whom are Romanian citizens – is the increasingly persistent desire of the Moscow Patriarchate to absorb the Metropolitanate of Moldova into the so-called “Russian World”, which is alien to our national aspirations and values. Unfortunately, this trend is a continuation of the harsh denationalisation policy promoted during the Tsarist and later Soviet periods, which the Russian Orthodox Church wishes to ‘perfect’. Unfortunately, Moscow has so far failed to understand that the people of Moldova have Latin roots and it is perfectly normal for them to aspire to come closer to and remain in this civilisational space, after centuries of artificial division, without betraying Orthodoxy (…).

(…) In this situation, we ask you, Your Holiness, how can we avoid the chasm that has opened up as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the one hand, and the growing distrust on the part of both the priesthood and the people of our position, which is supposedly directly linked to Russian interests, on the other? How can we maintain close relations with the Russian Orthodox Church when the geographical link is almost destroyed, when we can no longer purchase church objects made in the Russian Federation, because there are almost no trade routes between our countries? What should we do in the context of the increasingly evident consolidation of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Moldova and what should we do when the Russian Orthodox Church, which considers itself our Mother, behaves towards us, in our opinion, to put it delicately, disrespectfully?”, the letter states.

On October 11, 2023, His Eminence Vladimir, or Nicholas Cantarean by his married name, attended the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church held at the Danilov Monastery in the city of Moscow.

On the 40th day of the war in Ukraine, His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and Moldova, came with a new message in the context of the war in Ukraine. The Metropolitan said that the Orthodox Church of Moldova (BOM), canonically subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate, is “against the war, stands by the refugees and offers all possible assistance to all those who have suffered as a result of the hostilities”. On the other hand, also at that time, Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, held a service for Russian soldiers, urging them to defend their country “as only Russians can”. In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill labelled those fighting Moscow as “forces of evil”.

In October 2022, the Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova, His Eminence (His Grace) Vladimir was decorated by Patriarch Kiril with one of the highest honours of the Moscow Patriarchate – the Patriarchal Order, “Cousin Seraphim of Sarov”.

In 2014, Ziarul de Gardă revealed that His Eminence Vladimir lived in a million-dollar house a few kilometers from Chisinau. The luxury property was registered in the name of a woman, with whom His Holiness had even gone on a holiday to Turkey by the sea in 2012. In 2013, the woman, who owned two other apartments, opened a security agency offering protection services to anyone interested.