Moscow Rewards Loyal Orthodox Leader in Moldova

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday awarding the head of the Moldovan Church, Metropolitan Vladimir, Russia's Order of Friendship.

"For a special contribution to the preservation of Russian cultural and spiritual heritage in Moldova and fruitful activity in consolidating Russian-Moldovan cooperation, the Order of Friendship is given to Cantarean Nicolai Vasilievich (Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldavia), a citizen of the Russian Federation," said the decree.

The honour comes not long after the Patriarchate of Kiev obtained autocephaly (self-rule) from the Patriarchate of Constinopole.

"It is a kind of reward for his loyalty and, implicitly, a way to remind him once again of the support he has from the Russian Patriarchate and the Kremlin itself," theological expert Victor Gotisan told BIRN.

Gotisan said the Kremlin was offering incentives for continued obedience.

"[If] you are obedient and you keep everything under control, then you deserve some honour," he claimed.

Religious affairs expert Mihai Isac told BIRN that the award is also meant to send a signal to other religious leaders from the eparchies of the Russian Patriarchate in other former Soviet states, especially Ukraine and Belarus.

"Another issue being brought to light is the fact that Metropolitan Vladimir has double citizenship - Moldovan and Russian - even though he personally led crusades against the Moldovan priests who had another citizenship, that of the Romanian state, in the Metropolitan of Bessarabia," Isac said.

He noted that Putin has also awarded the Order of Friendship to other pro-Russian activists in Moldova, including two Moldovan historians, Sergiu Nazaria and Piotr Sornicov, well-known advocates of 'Moldovenist...