Chișinău, Moldova, December 11, 2023
Photo: moldova.travel
“Carols, molded in the ancestral hearth of our people, represent an invaluable cultural and spiritual heritage for our souls,” writes His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova (Moscow Patriarchate) in a new address to the faithful.
On December 9, the Moldovan Church site published his appeal for the faithful to preserve the tradition of holiday caroling in holy places, homes, and state institutions, which has undergone a revival over the past three decades.
“During this blessed period of the holidays dedicated to the Nativity of the Lord, the New Year, and Theophany, young people and children joyfully carol in homes, bringing the salvific news of the Savior’s birth and coming to earth,” Met. Vladimir writes.
Urging the faithful to continue this blessed tradition, the Metropolitan offers some guidelines:
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Carol singing may be arranged in churches, without instruments: “The raising of songs to God should be done through our voice, a gift of the Creator that must be developed and cherished.”
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The carols “must be deeply Christian and avoid any connection with pagan customs,” and carolers should wear traditional folk clothing.
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Carolers should not sing from the ambo in front of the iconostasis, “which is reserved exclusively for liturgical service sand the preaching of the Gospel message.”
Met. Vladimir concludes:
Carols, as old as our nation, represent “points of connection” between generations, a treasure that connects us to the past and enriches our present. By cherishing this heritage, we keep our history and identity alive, teaching and passing on to future generations the cultural and spiritual wealth of our nation.
In 2018, carolers from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ștefan Vodă sang for Met. Vladimir:
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