Members of the Parliament of Moldova say that religious equality must become a reality in their Eastern European country. They made their comments during a visit to the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on August 1.
Members of the Parliament of Moldova say that religious equality must become a reality in this Eastern European country. They made their comments during a visit August 1 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.
“As members of the European Council, we must not only respect the regulations of the Council, but treat all religions [as] equal in our country,” said Stefan Secareanu, a member of the Moldova’s Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities.
A guest of the United States Department of State, Secareanu and three colleagues are on a United States tour to observe and learn about minority and human rights issues.
In the past, the Adventist Church has experienced some difficulty in registering new congregations in the Pridnestrovye region. It has also faced problems renting facilities for religious activities, and has not been permitted to advertise religious programs through the media.
Responding to questions from the Adventist delegation, Valeriu Calmatui, a member of the Committee for Economy, Industry, Budget and Finance, reported that religious registration in the past had been a problem, but that a new law voted just two weeks ago has streamlined the process.
“Registration for churches is necessary, just like one would register an educational institution,” said Calmatui. Chaired by Mihail Jatsco, the newly established Commission for Religious Affairs now processes all registration requests in Moldova.
John Graz, director of public affairs and religious liberty for the Adventist Church, commended the Moldovan government for their efforts in working with other governments and non-governmental organizations to seek ways to promote religious freedom in their country.
Moldova, a country of some 4 million people, is located between Romania and Ukraine. More than 95 percent of Moldova’s citizens profess the Eastern Orthodox faith. The Adventist Church membership numbers close to 12,000.
