Crisis in Moldova’s Orthodox Church Highlights Wider East-West Division

Dozens of priests have reportedly switched allegiance from Moldova’s Moscow-linked Orthodox Church to the Orthodox Church of Romania in the belief that Moldova’s future ultimately lies with the West. “This phenomenon foreshadows a thaw in the church,” Vasile Banescu, a spokesman for Romania’s Orthodox Church, said in an April 25 radio interview. “Priests understand that … Moldova’s future is with Europe, with Romania,” he added. Moldova and Romania are both former Soviet socialist republics. But unlike Moldova, Romania has both feet firmly planted in the Western camp. In 2004, Romania became a member of the transatlantic NATO alliance. Three years later, it joined the European Union (EU)....