Visit from the Archbishop of Canterbury

It was a day of great honour for us on 16th March as we had the privilege of welcoming His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd. Rt. Hon. Lord Justin Welby, on his first ever trip to Moldova. His Grace Archbishop Justin was joined by two of his advisers – his Ecumenical Adviser, the Rev Dr Jeremy Morris, and his Adviser on Peace-building, Mr James Megoran.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Ceremonial Head of the Anglican Church worldwide, visited Moldova as part of his humanitarian mission in the region. Before coming to Moldova, His Grace visited faith leaders and communities in Turkiye and Romania. In Bucharest, His Grace met with the leadership of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania.

The Archbishop’s delegation began their first visit to Moldova with a meeting at the Jewish Community Center. There they were met by JCM’s executive directorate, a representative of the World Jewish Congress and a local rabbi from Chisinau, Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov. Among the topics discussed were the religious needs of Jews in the region, the community’s international outreach, events marking 120 years since the Kishinev Pogrom to take place on 20-21 April 2023, and the role of inter-faith dialogue in peace-building initiatives and humanitarian efforts.

Following their discussion, the Archbishop and his delegation were guided around the synagogue and met with the staff of JCM’s Humanitarian Aid Center (HAC) staff and beneficiaries. While visiting HAC, the Archbishop’s team gained first-hand insight into issues affecting displaced persons from Ukraine. His Grace assured those present of the Anglican Church’s solidarity and support.

We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to His Grace for taking the time to visit the community and look forward to continuing cooperation and dialogue with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office.