Millions of believers in Moldova were deprived of the Holy Fire as a result of the detention by the authorities at the Chisinau airport of Archbishop Markell of the Moldovan Metropolis, who was supposed to fly to Israel, the Russian Orthodox Church said.
"The authorities have not explained their actions, which may lead to the fact that millions of believers in Moldova will be deprived of the opportunity to meet the fire of Holy Saturday in their churches and monasteries," the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media said in a commentary.
On April 17, it became known that Archbishop Markell of the Moldovan Metropolis, who was supposed to fly to Israel for the Holy Fire, was detained at the Chisinau airport. He himself noted that he did not know the reason for the detention.
In an interview with RT, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy chairman of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Church-Society Relations and the Media, called the detention of Archbishop Markell of the Moldovan Metropolis in Chisinau discrimination.