Vicar of the Slavic Vicariate of America Visits the Exarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

On November 25, Archimandrite Alexander,  Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate of America and Bishop-Elect of Nicopolis, visited Moldova at the invitation of the Metropolitan Peter of Bessarabia, the Exarch of the New Lands of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Archimandrite Alexander was accompanied by Ivan Belya, Warden of the Cathedral of St. Matrona in Miami.  During their meeting at the Metropolitan residence in Chisinau, Metropolitan Peter spoke about the life and development of the Diocese and Metropolis entrusted to him.  Archimandrite Alexander conveyed greetings from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek Archdiocese of America.  He spoke about Orthodox Christianity in the United States and the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate of America.  The Vicar presented Metropolitan Peter with a panagia.  At the end of the meeting, His Eminence gave the visitors a tour of his residence, which included the diocesan church, where interior painting is currently underway.

On November 26, the feastday of St. John Chrysostom, Metropolitan Peter celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the diocesan church with local clergy.  At the invitation of His Eminence, Archimandrite Alexander concelebrated.  The service was performed in Romanian and Church Slavonic. 

After welcoming his guest from America at the end of the liturgy, Metropolitan Peter noted that this day was of  historical importance in Moldova as it was for the first time that a clergyman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate concelebrated with a hierarch of the Romanian Patriarchate.  His Eminence then introduced Archimandrite Alexander to his clergy and the parishioners. 

In response the Vicar thanked Metropolitan Peter for the opportunity to pray in Moldavia. After conveying greetings from Archbishop Elpidophoros, he invited His Eminence to visit the United States.  Archimandrite Alexander then revealed that he had known Metropolitan Peter for many years. While still an Abbot, the future Metropolitan had served in Romanian parishes and the Chumalevsky monastery in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, where he met with Archpriest Oleksandr Belya, the Archimandrite’s father.  The Vicar added that he is currently serving at the Cathedral of St. Matrona in Miami, Florida where Orthodox Christians of different nationalities worship, including Moldovans and people from the Bessarabian Metropolis.  Archimandrite Alexander compared the Metropolitan’s experiences to that of St. John Chrysostom, noting that both were persecuted for the truth.  As a result of envy the saint suffered imprisonment and exile.  “Your Eminence, I know that it was not easy for you, but with God’s help your diocese finally received state registration and today continues to develop.  New parishes are opening, the number of clergy is growing.  Having suffered in some ways like St. John Chrysostom, today you unite the clergy and laity who want to be with the Romanian Orthodox Church. Every person in life goes through his own Golgotha, after which the Resurrection certainly comes.  I wish prosperity for your diocese and God’s help in serving for the good of the Church and people”.