(MENAFN)
Moldovan Orthodox Bishop Marchel was blocked for the second time from traveling abroad for a religious pilgrimage, prompting accusations of a systematic crackdown by the Moldovan government against the church. The bishop, who had planned to visit a holy site in Türkiye, was detained and searched at Chisinau International Airport, causing him to miss his flight.

Bishop Marchel, who previously made headlines in April after being prevented from attending the Orthodox Easter 'Holy Fire' ceremony in Jerusalem, described Friday's airport incident as "humiliating." He told Sputnik Moldova that border police ignored his repeated requests to have his lawyer present during the search, releasing him only after his flight had departed.

The bishop condemned the incident as part of what he called a broader government campaign against the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate. “This is mass persecution,” he said, noting that hundreds of clergy and believers have reportedly been fined for taking pilgrimages to religious sites in Russia.

He asserted the church is being targeted due to its ties to Russian Orthodoxy. The April travel ban had sparked condemnation from Moldova’s opposition and the Russian Orthodox Church, and is currently under investigation by the UN Human Rights Council.

Religious tensions in Moldova have escalated in recent years, with two major factions—the Moscow-linked Moldovan Orthodox Church and the Romania-affiliated Metropolis of Bessarabia—vying for influence. The latter has received support from Moldova’s pro-EU government led by President Maia Sandu, who has pushed for closer ties with the West since taking office in 2020.

Critics have accused Sandu’s administration of pressuring the Orthodox clergy to align with Romania and of suppressing dissent. Sandu, however, defends her actions as part of efforts to curb alleged pro-Russian interference, including crackdowns on opposition parties and media she labels as criminal.

MENAFN02062025000045015687ID1109623857