ANASTASIA V. MITROFANOVA Orthodox actors and equal opportunities policies in the Republic of Moldova in the context of the transformation of post-Soviet societies DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.82787 Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) his article examines how the key Orthodox Introduction1 actors in Moldova have reacted to chal- Moldovan society2 is currently in a process Tlenging equal opportunities legislation. The author suggests, on the basis of an economic of post-socialist transformation which has approach to religion, that under the conditions already become the subject of a number of of a deregulated religious market they use vari- academic studies (see, e.g., Iordache 2018; ous strategies to promote their agendas. The Ganzevoort and Sremac 2017; Bilic 2016; Moldovan Orthodox Church (the Metropolitan- ate of Moldova), autonomous within the Russian Slootmaeckers et al. 2016; Sremac and Orthodox Church, previously relied on making Ganzevoort 2015; Ayoub and Paternotte private bargains with the government; but this 2014). Pressure from the outside, known as policy ended with the adoption of the 2013 Law Europeanisation brings about a more rapid on Ensuring Equality in the Republic of Moldova. Now the Metropolitanate tries to assimilate change than would have happened ‘natur- the strategies of direct action, but without suc- ally’. The sphere of sexual morality, includ- cess. The so-called ‘non-mentioning’ radicals, ing domestic violence, gender roles, and technically being part of the Metropolitanate the destigmatization of the LGBT commu- of Moldova, but not praying for its bishop, are nity are becoming particularly important. involved in direct political activism – from set- ting up protest camps to street fighting – to Within the last two decades or less, pro- confront de-stigmatization of homosexuality. found changes in this area have affected the The Bessarabian Metropolitanate of the Roma- Western world: even in supposedly liberal nian Orthodox Church utilizes the strategies of France thousands have protested against European ‘public’ churches and gains influence through performing some useful social functions. same-sex marriages. It is no surprise that This article concludes that all actors have their post-socialist states, living in a state of own advantages and weaknesses; nevertheless, uncertainty between European integration, so far the Metropolitanate of Moldova remains a socialist past and the impact of nationalist the strongest; while the other competitors are myths, experience problems with adopting serving specific religious niches, it is this body which still possesses the potential to influence non-discriminatory policies from Europe. society more broadly. 1 This research has been supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Grant no. 18-011-00598. 2 The research does not cover the self-pro- claimed Transnistrian Republic. Approaching Religion • Vol. 9, No. 1–2 • October 2019 96 In Moldova legally securing some rights for freedom of conscience, Orthodox Chris- the LGBT community (in no way same-sex tianity as a whole has found itself in a situ- partnership) has provoked a fierce social ation of religious pluralism. While Islamic movement of counter-reaction. Joining influence in Moldova remains limited, mul- the ongoing discussion on the topic of the tiple Protestant denominations represent a LGBT community has provided Orthodox serious challenge to Orthodoxy. Besides, actors with an opportunity to reach a wider the Metropolitanate of Moldova, previ- portion of society than it has been able to ously a state-protected ‘monopoly’, has to before.3 compete with alternative ‘suppliers’. Those This article aims at uncovering how the actors, who adjust better to the changed key Orthodox actors have reacted to the market conditions and win more support, challenge of equal opportunities legislation, can be evaluated as stronger competitors. and to evaluate the strategies they use to Apart from printed and electronic mobilize supporters for their cause. The key sources, I rely on observations made dur- actors are the Moldovan Orthodox Church ing my research visits to Moldova (2011, (the Metropolitanate of Moldova) autono- 2013, 2019); and on ten semi-structured mous within the Russian Orthodox Church, interviews taken at different stages of the and the Bessarabian Metropolitanate of research. The Metropolitanate of Mol- the Romanian Orthodox Church. Other dova is represented by its secretary Fr Ortho dox groups (Old Believers, non- Vadim Cheibaş; Chair of the Synodal canon ical jurisdictions) enjoy very limited Youth Department, Fr Octavian Moșin; Fr influence and remain beyond the scope of Nikolai Florinskii and Fr Vitalii Shinkar this publication. from the parish of St George in Chișinău; The economic approach to religion and Fr Vasilie, who insisted on maintain- (Stark and Bainbridge 1987; Stark and Ian- ing his anonymity. The radicals, technic- nac cone 1994; Iannaccone 1997; Young ally being part of the Metropolitanate of 1997; Stark and Finke 2000; Chesnut Moldova, but not praying for its bishop, are 2003; for a critical survey of the theory represented by Fr Anatolie Cibric. Fr Ioan see Lehmann 2010; Kargina 2014) allows Cosoi is the secretary of the Bessarabian for conceptualizing multiple Orthodox Metropolitanate and director of its so cial actors as competing religious producers. projects. I also quote from a previously In 2011–13 the Republic of Moldova made unpublished 2011 interview with a Mol- a transition from being a regulated reli- dovan lay theologian Nicolae Fuştei, and gious market, where the Metropolitanate of with Ian Feldman, president (from 2015) Moldova, according to the UN Special Rap- of the Council for the Prevention and porteur, enjoyed informal privileged treat- Elimination of Discrimination and Ensur- ment (United Nations 2012: 9–10), to more ing Equality. Interviews and observations or less free religious competition. Due to the are crucial for this research, because reli- legalisation of Islam in 2011 and amend- gious life in Moldova is scantily docu- ments made in 2012 to the legislation on mented; therefore, this publication pursues the additional end of collecting descriptive data. 3 They struggle against abortion too, but it was legalized may decades ago in the USSR, In 2010 the European Union made and the topic is meaningful only for prac- effective protection from all forms of dis­­ ticing believers. crimination – including on the basis of Approaching Religion • Vol. 9, No. 1–2 • October 2019 97 sexual orientation – the condition for but they are symbolically significant, as lifting the visa obligation for citizens they are in all post-socialist countries; these of Moldova. The new Law on Ensuring processions, heavily guarded by the police, Equality was officially adopted by its par- have already attracted academic attention liament in May 2012. The first draft of this in the field of what might be called ‘Pride document underwent revisions; the final studies’ (see, e.g., Drissel 2016; Igrutinović version having been modified to satisfy the et al. 2015). demands of the Church. Oleg Efrim, erst- while Minister of Justice, told me that ‘we The Metropolitanate of Moldova: have taken into consideration all the wishes hold the balance until you fall of the Church except the one that this law The position of the Metropolitanate of should not exist’ (Efrim 2013). Sexual Moldova with regard to non-discrimin- orien tation-based discrimination was now ation policies seems uncompromising. prohibited only in the sphere of employ- In summer 2013 Metropolitan Vladimir ment – meaning, verbal condemnations of (Cantarean) promised to excommuni- homosexuality could not be legally pun- cate politicians who had voted for the ished; an amendment was made allowing Law on Ensuring Equality a month ear- religious organizations to employ (or not lier. In September 2014 the Synod issued employ) whoever they wanted. Article one a ‘Condemnation of gay parades and of of the Law on Ensuring Equality indicates the consequences of adopting the Law that the provisions of the law are not related on Ensuring Equal Opportunities’, which to and cannot be interpreted as causing explicitly accused the government of col- damage to (1) family, based on marriage laborating with those who promoted sinful between a man and a woman, (2) adoption, behaviour, thus ‘targeting the founda- and (3) ‘religious cults and their compon- tion of the most holy values of our people’ ents in the part related to religious beliefs’ (Biserica Ortodoxă din Moldova 2014).4 (Lex.justice.md 2012). Nevertheless, the No politician, nevertheless, has ever been law is still seen by the Moldovan Church excommunicated. The Church protested as unsatisfactory, since it forbids offending by organising – to counterveil the Pride individuals on the basis of their homosexu- demonstration – its own rallies. Headed by ality and obliges all non-religious employ- Metropolitan Vladimir personally, a ‘silent ers (schools, businesses, etc.) not to dis- march’ has been held annually since 2013 as criminate against homosexuals. a procession of priests, monastics and fami- The Council for the Prevention and lies (often with children), as well as of single Elimin ation of Discrimination and Ensur- laypeople singing Orthodox hymns and ing Equality was established in 2013 to holding pro-family posters, such as images respond to complaints issued by private of the Romanov Holy Royal Family.5 The citizens. Ian Feldman stresses that their