Bessarabia and „Russian Canonical Territory“ or „the Conflict“ of the Metropolitan Churches

Abstract

The paradox of the coexistence of two canonical Metropolitan Churches in Bessarabia (Moldovan Metropolitan Church – subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate and Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia – under the canonical jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate) is assumed as a phenomenon related to the political area. Therefore, it is interesting to understand to what extent the church as an institution is influenced by the politics în Bessarabia, and to what extent the theological discourse is affected by the ideology, as well as whether the church în Bessarabia is or may become involved în the legitimising of the authority, as it occures în Russia, where the church has an important rol beside the power. Based on the analysis of official discourses of representatives of the involved institutions and other relevant documents stating the cultural and religious elites opinion, the study aims to analyse and interpret the legitimizing formulas and the impact of this split on the church and on the elite.

Keywords

• Moldovan Metropolitan Church
• Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia
• Moscow Patriarchate
• Romanian Patriarchate
• legitimacy
• cultural elite
• religious elite