On August 3, 2021, dozens of members of the Moldovan Metropolitanate of the Russian Orthodox Church staged a rally by the monument of Stefan cel Mare in central Chisinau, after which they prayed outside the Moldovan government building.
On the initiative of the so-called Orthodox lawyers, the ROC faithful and the clergy rallied against vaccination, which is now mandatory in the country, as well as discrimination against unvaccinated individuals. Believers were seen carrying posters reading, “We want to be informed, not forcibly vaccinated,” and “Stop compulsory vaccination.”
It is noteworthy that officially the Moldovan Metropolitanate of the ROC formally recommends its followers that they follow recommendations of health care facilities and, at the first opportunity, get their jab, EurAsia Daily writes.
However, unofficially, this didn’t prevent the ROC clergy from holding relevant protests.
It is also known that in June this year the ROC conducted a powerful PR campaign by handing over to the Moldovan Metropolitanate about 4,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine of dubious quality. Even among local clerics, only 10% agreed to take the shot of a drug that appears to be a brainchild of Kremlin propaganda.
Finally, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova states that at least 70% of the country’s citizens need to be vaccinated. It is under this condition, according to medics, that collective immunity could be formed in a population.
At the time of publication, approximately 17% of Moldovans have been immunized. It is expected that the protest action against vaccination, held by ROC believers and clergy in Chisinau, may slow down the inoculation process due to the growing number of “anti-vaxxers”
