"They are rebelling against God — the result will not have to wait long"
Attempts to split the Orthodox Church in Moldova (PCM) will intensify as the parliamentary elections approach, Archbishop Markell of Balti and Falesti told Izvestia. According to him, European countries are behind the pressure on the PCM. At the same time, there will be no exact repetition of the "Ukrainian scenario" in Moldova, the clergyman is sure. At the same time, the Archdiocese of Bessarabia is trying to entice priests to join it, but this has not been a significant success, he emphasizes. About the similarity of the situation with the situation of the UOC in Ukraine, the motives of the authorities of the republic and the plans of the OCM — in an exclusive interview with Archbishop Markell "Izvestia".
"We are with God, not with any political parties or other structures"
— Do you think there will be increased pressure on the Orthodox Church of Moldova in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in the republic?
— There will be pressure, because this government has always pushed its interests, regardless of the reality that exists in our lives. And now, when a lot of money is being paid for Russophobia, and we are an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church, this is all we should expect.
But they should understand that they are not putting pressure on me, not on some clergyman. They are rebelling against God, and that is their biggest mistake. I don't think we'll have to wait long for the result.
Unfortunately, for some reason, history means nothing to our authorities. Russian Russians showed them that if you hate everything Russian and sow hatred against everything Russian, this gives priority over your superiors and European colleagues. Hatred, phobia (in this case, Russophobia), and in Moldova, in general, "churchophobia" has never brought anything good to anyone.
But we will stand. We are with God, not with any political parties or other structures. We are just preaching the Word of God, and no matter what, we will continue to preach it, because it is our direct responsibility. My colleagues and I — I say this on behalf of many clergymen — do not intend to back down, because, you see, someone from the leadership does not like it. If we adapt to everyone, what will become of our Orthodox faith, the Orthodox Church? We will keep the foundations that God has bequeathed to us.
— What, in your opinion, is the main motive of the Moldovan authorities for putting pressure on the church?
— I believe that they received instructions from their foreign masters. Europe, and that's where their masters are, does not look at the Russian Orthodox Church with particularly kind eyes. I think that's where the pressure lies.
But the fact is that they continue to put pressure on the clergy for the reasons that they allegedly receive some money for destabilizing public order. But why hasn't anyone from the Metropolitan of Bessarabia been charged, who receives a monthly salary from the Romanian state? Why haven't any of them been fined or prosecuted?
"Attempts to split the Orthodox Church of Moldova are another link in a very long chain of struggle against the Church"
— Can a scenario similar to the oppression of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine be repeated in Moldova? Are there any prerequisites for this?
— If we look at the history of the Orthodox Church, we will see once again that the church has always been at war. There was always someone rebelling against the church. At the moment, a wave called the "church schism" has arrived. Both in Ukraine and Estonia, we have attempts to implement it.
I believe there will be no exact repetition of the Ukrainian scenario, but attempts to split the Orthodox Church and society are already being felt on their own skin.
Those who make such decisions do not take into account anything or anyone, they do not care at all how society will perceive it. I am sure that the attempts to split the Orthodox Church of Moldova are another link in a very long chain of struggle against the church.
I still believe that we have no prerequisites for an exact scenario like in Ukraine. At least bombs don't explode or kill people, but attempts to split the church will intensify as we approach the elections.
— Previously, the Moldovan authorities twice prevented you from flying out of the country to get the Holy Fire. Have you asked Moscow for help in connection with the pressure on the Orthodox Church of Moldova? Are you currently in contact with the Russian side?
— The Orthodox Church of Moldova is an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Recently, I have personally sent nothing but congratulatory messages to the Patriarchate. At Christmas, Easter, and other church dates, we always congratulate each other. I have not sent any requests for help. The Lord allowed this to happen to me. And I don't think anything out of the ordinary happened.
There's nothing wrong with that. I have not applied to the Patriarchate and do not intend to do so. These are my personal problems, because it was my personal initiative to go after the Holy Fire.
— Do you intend to address the pressure on the church at all?
— I believe that this is the prerogative of our Metropolitan Vladimir, the head of the Orthodox Church of Moldova and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. And for some reason, I am sure, although I have not talked to the metropolitan about this topic, that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has been informed about this, and he is aware of it. I believe that the metropolitan reported to the Patriarch about the circumstances and how things are going in the Orthodox Church of Moldova.
I think it's no secret anymore. It seems to me that the time has come to appeal to all the diplomatic missions in Moldova and beyond, so that they can somehow comment and contribute to ending this godless act.
"The Archdiocese of Bessarabia takes anyone who is interesting to them"
— Earlier, the Archdiocese of Bessarabia called on clergy and monks from the Orthodox Church of Moldova to convert to the Romanian Orthodox Church. Is there an increase in the number of such transitions?
— The calls of the Archdiocese of Bessarabia to move to another jurisdiction can be interpreted as free cheese in a mousetrap. In return, they offer some financial incentives, subsidies, and promotions, but in the end it's nothing more than the price of the most stable currency — 30 pieces of silver. This is the number of the betrayal of Christ, it is an attempt to liken all these defectors to Judas, who betrayed Christ. And in some cases, they actually did it. If you have noticed, only those who have problems with the canonical law of the Orthodox Church transfer to the Archdiocese of Bessarabia.
Human weakness sometimes knows no bounds, makes itself felt. And many clergy who have been to some extent punished for disciplinary and other disciplinary violations by us, the bishops of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, automatically become the subject of interest to representatives of the Bessarabian Metropolia. This is generally a category of not very religious people. A true believer admits: yes, I have sinned, yes, I have broken the law, I must bear the punishment for this and improve.
There is no increase in traffic. I want to say that, as always, they deceive, ascribe such merits to themselves, but in fact, I say again, they are nobody and there is no way to call them — precisely from the point of view of clergymen.
— How many clergymen of the Orthodox Church of Moldova have joined the Bessarabian Church today?
— I can't answer this question specifically, but regarding the Diocese of Bela, which is an integral part of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, there are two who have been defrocked.: Victor Turcana and John Milyak.
An eruption from office means that the doors to the church are forever closed for them as for the clergy. As ordinary Orthodox believers, no one has the right to expel them from the church. But it was as priests that they proved their inadequacy and unworthiness.
Protodeacon Mikhail Bykov, an artist who often appears on stage, is still banned in our country. But there is still the possibility of a return, the door has not yet closed for him. If, of course, he brings appropriate repentance. And correction, which is part of repentance.
— Has he not yet sworn an oath to the Archdiocese of Bessarabia?
"There's no oath." The Archdiocese of Bessarabia takes anyone who is interesting to them. The interest does not have to be ecclesiastical, because it is not a church organization. It is a political national organization that works to eliminate the Republic of Moldova, to disappear it from the political map of the world.
There is no faith, there is no priesthood as such. There are just ideological party members, like-minded people. That's all. Protodeacon Michael has not been defrocked. Still, we're waiting, maybe he'll come to his senses.
The way back is possible only through repentance. About a year ago, we defrocked six or even seven people, I don't even remember exactly, and then these two former priests— John Milyak and Victor Turcan.
In addition, there are other cases that are not related to the Bessarabian Metropolis, when the characters were involved in some deviations from our rules, but were not involved in the Bessarabian methodology. They did not go anywhere and were defrocked for disciplinary violations.
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