Russia funded Moldovan Orthodox priests to travel to Moscow and provided them with cards containing hundreds of dollars for their journey home.
This was reported by Bukvy with reference to Reuters.
In exchange for their cooperation, priests in Moldova created channels on Telegram to influence the elections, warning against integration with the European Union and promoting traditional values as opposed to what they refer to as “gay Europe.”
Journalists spoke with Father Mihai Bicu, a priest in the Orthodox Church in Moldova. He recounted how last year, he and a group of several dozen Moldovan clergymen spent a week on an all-expenses-paid tour of the Russian Orthodox Church's holy sites.
According to Father Bicu, Russian Orthodox officials provided them with vouchers worth 10,000 rubles (approximately $120) to use in church shops that sold icons and souvenirs. He also mentioned that they attended a series of lectures by theologians and historians who emphasized the centuries-old traditions and shared faith connecting Russia and Moldova, urging that the two must stand together against the “morally corrupt” West.
Before returning home, he and many others in the group received debit cards issued by a Russian state bank, with the understanding that the money would be transferred to their accounts shortly after their return to Moldova.
In exchange for the funds — around $1,200 upon their return — the priests were expected to create social media channels for their parishes in Moldova to warn their parishioners about the dangers of the government’s pro-Western policies.
According to a report by Reuters, nearly 90 new Telegram channels for Moldovan Orthodox parishes have emerged over the past year. Most of these channels published identical content nearly every day, calling on believers to oppose the government’s pro-Western initiatives.
With parliamentary elections approaching on September 28, online propaganda activities have increased. The source of much of the content is a channel called Sare şi Lumiña, which reposts from parish accounts. Between May and August, this channel published over 600 posts, nearly three times the number of posts made in the previous four months of the year.
The central message is that Moldova's traditional family values are under threat from the EU, which allegedly will force citizens to “embrace LGBT identity,” “degrade morals,” and “destroy freedom of worship.” Although the posts do not explicitly promote pro-Russian sentiments, they echo the narratives pushed by opposition parties advocating closer ties with Moscow.
"The most immoral feature of Russian electoral interference in elections in Moldova is the use of the most trusted institution: the church. Russia recruits and trains the priests during so-called all-inclusive pilgrimages, in order to turn religion into a weapon. After returning, the priests come to Moldova and use their influence in order to sow mistrust," stated Stanislav Secrieru, national security adviser to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
Groups of about 50 individuals associated with the Church, including some priests' wives, have been making similar trips every week since June. This has become an unexpected incentive for priests in Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, where many often have to make a living by selling candles and icons to parishioners.
Reuters analyzed one of these pilgrimages and identified three Russian politicians who accompanied the priests during their visits to the holy sites: Artyom Starostin, Alexander Ralnikov, and Sergei Lazarev, all of whom are members of the United Russia party.