Religious leaders Antonie and Leo XIV emphasize social service and solidarity

Metropolitan Antonie, Archbishop of Chișinău and Metropolitan of Bessarabia, conducted a pastoral visit to the Diaconia Social Mission on September 2, 2026. During the visit, he toured various social services, including the ‘Sfânta Ana’ Multifunctional Center for seniors and children, the ‘În Brațele Mamei’ Maternal Center for mothers in crisis, and the ‘Sfântul Iosif cel Milostiv’ social settlement. He also met with the Food Bank team to observe the redistribution of products to families in need.

In the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV addressed a general audience regarding the Church's mission to serve humanity. Reflecting on the pastoral constitution ‘Gaudium et Spes’, the Pope urged believers to reject passivity and indifference toward modern challenges such as inequality, technological disparity, and poverty. He emphasized that Christian solidarity requires active engagement with the realities of contemporary social and personal life.