Bessarabian Metropolis confirms Romania's payments to clergy in Moldova
Anthony (Telembich) stated that priests of his structure receive monetary payments from Romania.
The new head of the Bessarabian Metropolis, Anthony (Telembich), acknowledged that Romania pays a monthly stipend to Moldovan clergy who have transferred from the Orthodox Church of Moldova to the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
"Those clergy of the Bessarabian Metropolis who do not have Romanian citizenship receive 300 euros. Those who have citizenship receive 500-something. I think that's right," said Anthony on the Chișinău television channel PRO TV.
According to him, the amount of the payment is determined by the possession of a Romanian passport, not by the clerical rank of the clergyman.
According to Moldovan media, since 2022 approximately 60 priests have transferred to the Bessarabian Metropolis. These transfers are regularly accompanied by conflicts over churches — one of the most high-profile cases occurred in the village of Derenevу.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported, the new head of the Bessarabian Metropolis called on the Moldovan authorities to cooperate.
