The Romanian occupation of the Moldavian SSR (1941–1944): The Bucharest Patriarchate and the policy of Romanianization (based on materials from the National Archives of the Republic of Moldova)

The main goal of the occupation policy of the Romanian administration in the Governorates of Bessarabia and Transnistria was the Romanianization of their population. The clergy of the Romanian Orthodox Church became an active agent of Romanianization; they outnumbered the local clergy and established dominance over them and the believers. They established their dominance over the priests from Bessarabia and Transnistria, as well as the believers. General education schools, secondary and higher theological institutions, as well as so-called “cultural centers” served the goals of Romanianization. The clergy introduced Religion and Christian morality lessons in secondary schools, accompanied by reading Romanian chauvinistic literature. A theological seminary was opened in Dubossary, and a department of theology was opened at Odessa University. These institutions had libraries of books with Romanian nationalist content. The clergy created Romanian nationalist organizations (Romanians from Bug) and published newspapers, and magazines (Sunday, Transnistria Christina) of nationalist and pro-fascist anti-Slavic content. Some priests (at least 56 in Bessarabia and 19 in Northern Bukovina) were involved in political surveillance. Despite the efforts made, the population was losing trust in the Romanian missionary priests. The goals of Romanianization during the Romanian occupation of Bessarabia and Transnistria in 1941-1944 were not achieved.

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