Romanovca, Moldova, September 7, 2020
zdg.md
With tensions running high as Moldova approaches its presidential elections in November, a matter seemingly as simple as a Romanian flag hanging on a village church has led to a political spat.
Fr. Nicolae Tverdostup says he only intended to honor the National Day of the Romanian Language when he hung the flag at his Church of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God in the village of Romanovca, on the border with Romania, on August 31. Fr. Nicolae is a cleric of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, the Moldovan wing of the Romanian Orthodox Church, reports Balkan Insight.
About 97% of the population identifies as Orthodox Christians. Moldova formed part of the Kingdom of Romania between WWI and WWII, and most Moldovans speak Romanian, but the country later spent decades as part of the USSR, and now the majority of the population belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church’s Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova.
Today, the country is divided between those who want closer ties with Romania and those who want closer ties with Russia.
“The police and some [Socialist Party] PSRM activists tried to take down from the tower the Romanian flag—a sign of Romanian support and of historical continuity,” opposition deputy Igor Munteanu wrote on Facebook.
“The police claimed that removing the flag would protect public order, which is an aberration and a challenge on the part of the current government,” he added.
However, Fr. Nicolae defends his decision, saying: “I put the flag of Moldova and that of Romania on the bell tower. The police wanted to force me to lower the Romanian flag … but I will not lower any flag, because our parish belongs to the Romanian Patriarchate. We are in the Metropolis of Bessarabia; this is the Church of the nation, and I am against this.”
Fr. Nicolae used to serve a Romanian parish in Italy, where he never encountered any problems with the Romanian and Italian flags flying at his parish. “I’m not to blame; I’m a citizen of both the Republic of Moldova and Romania. I have every right,” he added, reports zdg.md.
However, police argue that the priest violated the statute dictating the flying of the flag of foreign states, which stipulates that, “the flags of other states may be flown on the territory of the Republic Of Moldova during official state visits, international celebrations and meetings, on official buildings and in established public places, only together with the state flag and in compliance with the provisions of this law.”
While Fr. Nicolae says he intended to celebrate the National Day of the Romanian Language on August 31, the flag was still flying on September 2, when police were dispatched to investigate. According to the priest, the interaction with the police passed without incident.
The police have reported the incident and warned Fr. Nicolae that he could be fined if found guilty of breaking the law.
