The traditional Orthodox values of the Moldovan people and the Church are being replaced in the country with the dictatorship of homosexuality with the connivance of the incumbent pro-Europe authorities, maintains Marchel, the Bishop of Balti and Falesti.  

Speaking at a news conference at Infotag today, he confirmed that the court of Balti city had fined him 22,500 lei for “insulting citizens – members of the GenderDoc-M Information Center”.    

“The reason of that were my public sayings during sermons concerning the danger of homosexuality for the moral live of the society. My assertions were not unfounded. I referred to the conclusions made by specialized American websites about the threat presented by persons practicing homosexuality and lesbianism instead of traditional moral values”, said the Bishop.    

Marchel quoted a number of English-language websites that maintained that approximately 90% HIV-infected persons are homosexuals or bisexuals.   

“In 2007, University of California published statistical data on Los Angeles saying that homosexuals have 90 times higher chances to fall ill with rectal cancer. Despite all that, two years ago the Moldovan homosexual community received support from the pro-Europe Moldovan authorities, who passed the notorious Law on Equal Opportunities”, said the Bishop.        

He is convinced that the Balti Court’s decision was ordered by the authorities.   

“I don’t want to mention the names of the people standing behind that court judgment. These people are in power now. Before the Balti Court’s final sitting, Judge Anna Donos was summoned to Chisinau to “high offices”, where she was told what she must do. She came back to Balti a totally different person, with new thoughts and other sayings. At declaring the verdict, she did not provide even a single proof of my being guilty. And she actually could not – because there were no proofs”, said Bishop Marchel, who is now going to challenge the judgment in higher court instances.      

“We shall continue our struggle in courts against our deformed, obedient and manipulated judiciary system. I shall never cease saying that Orthodox values are more important for Christian worshippers and normal citizens than those alien to us, those being imposed on us by the West – the alternative ideas of sexual freedom”, said Marchel.     

He repeated that homosexuality is a great sin and a crime against the society’s moral health, and demanded once again from the Moldovan authorities to cancel the legislation on equal opportunities.       

As already reported by Infotag, the Moldovan Parliament approved the highly disputable Law on Ensuring Equality on May 25, 2012. Already on that day, various actions of protest began in the republic, organized mostly by active Christians, who hated the very thought that the Law will legitimize the rights of sexual minorities.    

A group of priests and worshippers stated then that Metropolitan Vladimir had not interfered and had thus betrayed the Christians’ hope, so he must beg pardon for this, otherwise they would demand from Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia His Holiness Kirill to appoint another Metropolitan for Moldova.     

The Moldovan Government approved the draft Law on Discrimination Prevention (which was the document’s initial name) yet in February 2011 in order to ensure equal chances for all Moldova citizens, irrespective of their sexual orientation, race, color of the skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, political affiliation, property, or social status. The European Union and the Council of Europe strongly recommended passing such law.    

However, the bill stirred up stormy debates in the Moldovan society, splitting it into two hostile and, so far, irreconcilable camps. A smaller part of the society seems to be tolerant, while the other part would not accept the law.  

Moldova has undertaken a commitment before the European Union to necessarily adopt the Law. European officials have many a time warned that without the said Law, Moldova’s Euro-integration may take infinitely long.   

Despite this, the Moldovan Orthodox Church and the Communists keep on challenging the Law.

On May 19, 2013 sexual minorities organized their gay pride march in Chisinau, when a few dozen young people walked some 200 meters under the protection by 4 times more policemen from the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, which place they thought to be the safest, along Mateevici Street in a company of the Ambassadors of the United States and Sweden and with the greeting by EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, who happened to be in Chisinau on that very special day. A few hours later, Vladimir Voronin cancelled his scheduled meeting with the EU Commissioner.