Moldovan bishop tells UN of pressure on the Church
Speaking at the UN, Archbishop Markell said the authorities are putting pressure on the Orthodox Church of Moldova and threatening the seizure of churches.
On March 25, 2026, Archbishop Markell of Bălți and Fălești addressed a UN platform during the general debate and spoke of violations of believers’ rights and pressure on the Orthodox Church of Moldova, according to the website of the Bălți-Fălești Eparchy.
In his remarks, the hierarch drew attention to increasingly anti-church rhetoric from a number of Moldovan politicians. “Such rhetoric creates an atmosphere of intolerance and contributes to further restrictions on religious freedom,” Archbishop Markell said.
He also spoke of cases of administrative prosecution against believers on charges of “passive electoral corruption,” as well as regular inspections of clergy and pilgrims when crossing the state border.
The bishop further pointed to court proceedings that could lead to the confiscation of around 800 churches and monasteries, along with cases of pressure on communities aimed at forcing them into the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Bessarabia.
Archbishop Markell’s statement was backed by international human rights organizations, which said there are signs of systemic discrimination against believers and called on UN bodies to provide a legal assessment of the situation.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that, by court decision in Moldova, believers of the Moldovan Metropolia were barred from entering a church.
