Archbishop Markell called the attempt to seize the church in the village of Grinautsy a sacrilege.

The attempt to seize a church in the village of Grinauci belonging to the Moldovan Orthodox Church (MPC) by representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Church is sacrilege and spiritual theft. This was announced on July 1 in an interview with Izvestia by Archbishop Markell of Balti and Falesti.

On June 29, representatives of the Bessarabian Metropolia, with the support of local authorities and the police, attempted to seize a church in the village of Grinautsy in the Ryshkan district.

"We are talking about sacrilege, we are talking about theft. However, it is necessary to point out here that the theft is spiritual. The Archdiocese of Bessarabia does not shy away from stealing churches and depriving the Orthodox people of Moldova of churches," Markell said.

According to him, the transfer of the community under the authority of the Bessarabian (Romanian) Archdiocese occurred through the bribery of several of its members, who secretly signed documents under cover of night. The archbishop noted that in this regard, the villagers ceased to be owners of the church, since in Romania the church is not separated from the state. Moreover, the clergy who have come under the jurisdiction of the Bessarabian Metropolia are deprived of "spiritual grace."

In addition, the archbishop accused representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Church of lying and said that they were conducting a church schism in Moldova.

"They are rebelling against God — the result will not have to wait long"

Archbishop Markell of Balti and Falesti — on the oppression of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, the analogy with the UOC and the transfer of clergy to the Bessarabian Metropolis

Markell reported on May 23 that he was searched again at the airport in Moldova, forbidding him to leave the country for pilgrimage purposes. The clergyman had planned a two-day trip to the holy places in Turkey. He said that he was "subjected to a humiliating check," after which his passport and ticket were returned when the plane was already on the runway.