Metropolis of Bessarabia
Encyclopedia
The Metropolis of Bessarabia is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox
Metropolitan bishop
ric of the Romanian Orthodox Church
. The Metropolis of Bessarabia
was created in 1923 and organized in 1925, when the Archbishopric of Chișinău
was raised to the rank of metropolis
. Inactive during the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia (1940-1941) and the Soviet rule in Moldova
(1944-1991), it was re-activated on September 14, 1992, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In 1995, the Metropolis of Bessarabia was raised to the rank of exarch
ate, with jurisdiction over the Romanian Orthodox
communities of the ex-Soviet bloc
and the Moldovan
diaspora
worldwide.
The current Metropolitan of Bessarabia is Petru Păduraru
.
in 1812, from the churches and monasteries of the Metropolis of Moldavia
on that territory that no longer belonged to the Principality of Moldavia, by Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni
, a popular promoter of Moldavian/Romanian language and culture, who served also as its first Metropolitan. In 1918, Metropolitan Anastasius Gribanovsky was ousted after he refused to accede to the Romania's demand to secede from the Russian Orthodox Church and subordinate to the Romanian one. With the advent of Greater Romania
in 1918, there were three church bodies: the autocephalous Romanian Orthodox Church (on the territory of Smaller Romania—prior to 1918—formed in 1872 from the union of the former Metropolis of Ungrovlahia and Metropolis of Moldavia
), and the non-autocephalous Metropolis of Bessarabia and Metropolis of Transylvania. Therefore, in 1925, the rank of the Romanian Orthodox Church was raised to that of a Patriarchate, with the Metropolis of Bessarabia as one of its five sees. Gurie Grosu
was the first Metropolitan of Bessarabia, and Efrem Enăchescu the second.
After the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia in 1940, the church, which then was a non-autonomous Metropolis, was banned, and its property has either changed uses, or was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church
, which established the Bishopric in Chişinău and Moldova. In 1980s, two more bishoprics were added, and the See raised to the status of a Metropolis. After Moldova's independence in 1991, part of the clergy followed Petru Păduraru, the Bishop of Bălţi
, and re-established the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The Russian Orthodox Church refused to recognize the authority of the Bessarabian church, and two metropolia started an un-easy co-existence. During the 1990s, the one subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church, called Moldovan Orthodox Church
, gained the protection of the country's authorities and established itself as the official church, while the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia was refused registration according to the country's new law of religions.
In 2004, after years of legal hurdles and a final decision by the European Court of Human Rights
, the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia received official registration, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova recognizing it as "the spiritual, canonical, historical successor of the Metropolitan See of Bessarabia which functioned till 1944, including". About 20% of country's Orthodox churches were or changed to be under its jurisdictions; a strong desire to similar moves has been expressed in many other parishes. This is a major area of tension with the Moldovan Orthodox Church
. The position of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the dispute with the Russian Orthodox Church over the territorial jurisdiction is, according to a press release, that the two Metropolitan Sees should "peacefully co-exist and brotherly cooperate (…) harmonising, with wisdom and realism, the territorial principle with the ethnic principle, as agreed in the pastoral service of the Orthodox in Diaspora."
The church is currently recognized only by some other Orthodox Churches, since the Patriarchate of Moscow opposes its recognition by all of them. The current metropolitan in this church is Petru Păduraru
(born 24 October 1946 in Ţiganca
, elected as metropolitan in 1992), and it has about 720,000 members.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
Metropolitan bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
ric of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
. The Metropolis of Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
was created in 1923 and organized in 1925, when the Archbishopric of Chișinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
was raised to the rank of metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
. Inactive during the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia (1940-1941) and the Soviet rule in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
(1944-1991), it was re-activated on September 14, 1992, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In 1995, the Metropolis of Bessarabia was raised to the rank of exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
ate, with jurisdiction over the Romanian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
communities of the ex-Soviet bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
and the Moldovan
Moldovans
Moldovans or Moldavians are the largest population group of Moldova...
diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
worldwide.
The current Metropolitan of Bessarabia is Petru Păduraru
Petru Păduraru
Petru Păduraru is a Bessarabian priest and the current Metropolitan of Bessarabia.- Biography :Petru Păduraru was born on October 24, 1946 in Țiganca, Cahul District....
.
History
Metropolis of Bessarabia was founded after the annexation of Bessarabia by the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1812, from the churches and monasteries of the Metropolis of Moldavia
Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina
The Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, in Iaşi, Romania, is one of the main bishoprics of the Romanian Orthodox Church.-History:Recognised, in 1401, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Metropolis of Moldavia united, in 1872, with the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia to form the...
on that territory that no longer belonged to the Principality of Moldavia, by Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni
Gavril Banulescu-Bodoni
Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni was a Romanian clergyman who served as Metropolitan of Moldavia , Metropolitan of Kherson and Crimea , Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych , Exarch of Moldo-Wallachia , and Metropolitan of Chişinău , being the first head of the church in Bessarabia after the Russian...
, a popular promoter of Moldavian/Romanian language and culture, who served also as its first Metropolitan. In 1918, Metropolitan Anastasius Gribanovsky was ousted after he refused to accede to the Romania's demand to secede from the Russian Orthodox Church and subordinate to the Romanian one. With the advent of Greater Romania
Greater Romania
The Greater Romania generally refers to the territory of Romania in the years between the First World War and the Second World War, the largest geographical extent of Romania up to that time and its largest peacetime extent ever ; more precisely, it refers to the territory of the Kingdom of...
in 1918, there were three church bodies: the autocephalous Romanian Orthodox Church (on the territory of Smaller Romania—prior to 1918—formed in 1872 from the union of the former Metropolis of Ungrovlahia and Metropolis of Moldavia
Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina
The Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, in Iaşi, Romania, is one of the main bishoprics of the Romanian Orthodox Church.-History:Recognised, in 1401, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Metropolis of Moldavia united, in 1872, with the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia to form the...
), and the non-autocephalous Metropolis of Bessarabia and Metropolis of Transylvania. Therefore, in 1925, the rank of the Romanian Orthodox Church was raised to that of a Patriarchate, with the Metropolis of Bessarabia as one of its five sees. Gurie Grosu
Gurie Grosu
Gurie Grosu was a Bessarabian priest and the first Metropolitan of Bessarabia.- Biography :Gurie Grosu was born on January 1, 1877 in Nimoreni and died on November 14, 1943 in Bucharest...
was the first Metropolitan of Bessarabia, and Efrem Enăchescu the second.
After the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia in 1940, the church, which then was a non-autonomous Metropolis, was banned, and its property has either changed uses, or was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, which established the Bishopric in Chişinău and Moldova. In 1980s, two more bishoprics were added, and the See raised to the status of a Metropolis. After Moldova's independence in 1991, part of the clergy followed Petru Păduraru, the Bishop of Bălţi
Balti
Balti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
, and re-established the Metropolis of Bessarabia. The Russian Orthodox Church refused to recognize the authority of the Bessarabian church, and two metropolia started an un-easy co-existence. During the 1990s, the one subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church, called Moldovan Orthodox Church
Moldovan Orthodox Church
The Moldovan Orthodox Church is an autonomous church under the Russian Orthodox Church, whose canonic territory covers the Republic of Moldova....
, gained the protection of the country's authorities and established itself as the official church, while the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia was refused registration according to the country's new law of religions.
In 2004, after years of legal hurdles and a final decision by the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia received official registration, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova recognizing it as "the spiritual, canonical, historical successor of the Metropolitan See of Bessarabia which functioned till 1944, including". About 20% of country's Orthodox churches were or changed to be under its jurisdictions; a strong desire to similar moves has been expressed in many other parishes. This is a major area of tension with the Moldovan Orthodox Church
Moldovan Orthodox Church
The Moldovan Orthodox Church is an autonomous church under the Russian Orthodox Church, whose canonic territory covers the Republic of Moldova....
. The position of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the dispute with the Russian Orthodox Church over the territorial jurisdiction is, according to a press release, that the two Metropolitan Sees should "peacefully co-exist and brotherly cooperate (…) harmonising, with wisdom and realism, the territorial principle with the ethnic principle, as agreed in the pastoral service of the Orthodox in Diaspora."
The church is currently recognized only by some other Orthodox Churches, since the Patriarchate of Moscow opposes its recognition by all of them. The current metropolitan in this church is Petru Păduraru
Petru Păduraru
Petru Păduraru is a Bessarabian priest and the current Metropolitan of Bessarabia.- Biography :Petru Păduraru was born on October 24, 1946 in Țiganca, Cahul District....
(born 24 October 1946 in Ţiganca
Ţiganca
Țiganca is a commune in Cantemir district, Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Țiganca, Ghioltosu and Țiganca Nouă.- External links :* *...
, elected as metropolitan in 1992), and it has about 720,000 members.
See also
- History of the Orthodox Church in MoldovaHistory of the Orthodox Church in Moldova-Middle ages:The first attested Christian organization the territory of the later Principality of Moldavia was the Catholic Diocese of Cumania in the southern part of the region, dating from 1227, and is connected with Hungarian attempts to control the region. However, as early as 1234, Orthodox...
- Romanian Orthodox ChurchRomanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
- List of members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church
- Moldovan Orthodox ChurchMoldovan Orthodox ChurchThe Moldovan Orthodox Church is an autonomous church under the Russian Orthodox Church, whose canonic territory covers the Republic of Moldova....
- St. Teodora de la Sihla ChurchSt. Teodora de la Sihla Church- Overview :Formerly the chapel of a girls gymnasium, the church of St. Teodora de la Sihla is an architectural masterpiece by Alexander Bernardazzi. It boasts the elements of his favorite neoclassic byzantine architecture.- External links :**...
- LuminătorulLuminătorulLuminătorul is a periodical of the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chişinău.- History :The first edition was printed in January 1908. The first editor in chief was Gurie Grosu. From 1908 on, Grigorie D. Constantinescu , Alexandru Baltagă were one of the key aides of Gurie Grosu in the editing and...
- MisionarulMisionarulMisionarul is a newspaper issued by the Metropolis of Bessarabia in Chişinău.- History :The first edition was printed on October 6, 1929. The first editor in chief was Vladimir Burjacovschi . Among the authors were: Efim Tighineanu, Episcopul Policarp, Constantin N...
External links
- Statement concerning the arguments of the representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Church justifying the decision to establish dioceses of the Metropolia of Bessarabia
- Territorial Jurisdiction According to Orthodox Canon Law. The Phenomenon of Ethnophyletism in Recent Years, a paper read at the International Congress of Canon Law, 2001, (Ecumenical Patriarchate website)
- Torna a Patriarcato di Mosca