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Two Romanian priests were expelled by Chishinau authorities allegedly because of lacking employment documents. The measure was decided during checks concerning all the priests in Romanian parishes on Moldovan territory.

Constantin Stoica, a spokesman of the Romanian Orthodox Church, argues: "The representatives of the Metropolitan Church of Basarabia have informed us that all the priests in this administrative structure were checked on by Moldovan authorities wishing to see if they had legal residence and employment documents. They decided that the employment documents of two Orthodox priests were not all right and the two should be expelled at once."

The action, legal from Moldovan authorities' point of view, has emerged at times of dispute between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, caused by the reactivation of three Romanian parishes on Moldovan territory. Although Moldovan authorities admit the three religious structures are legal, the Russian Church thinks the reactivation is "an act of aggression", namely a break of the Russian canonic territory.

Moldovan authorities opened campaign to denigrate the priests and officials of the Metropolitan Church of Basarabia, canonically subordinate to the Romanian Patriarchy. His Holiness Petru, the Bishop of Basarabia, was retained in December 26, 2007 in the customs point in Leuseni, when he was returning from Iasi. (G.D.)

Articol disponibil la adresa http://www.ziua.net/display.php?id=231304&data=2008-01-04