To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Tiraspol and Dubossary Diocese and 200th of Bendery's Transfiguration Cathedral, two bishops paid a guest visit to Pridnestrovie: Metropolitan Bishop of Moldova Vladimir and Metropolitan Bishop of Tashkent and Uzbekistan Vikentiy, who was long in charge of the Bendery curacy.
They took part in the liturgy in Nativity Cathedral, where Orthodox Christians from all over Pridnestrovie were present. The service was also attended by the head of government, Tatyana Turanskaya. On behalf of the republican leadership she congratulated Archbishop of Tiraspol and Dubossary Savva on the diocese's anniversary.
«We are grateful to the church for strengthening morals and spiritual health of the Pridnestrovian society, for preserving peace and order in the republic," she said to the priests.
After the liturgy there was a cross procession from Nativity Cathedral to Tiraspol's Civil Registry Office, on which place there had been St Nicholas Cathedral. With Orthodox hymns, the procession, headed by Pridnestrovie's military, was moving along the central street. Together with parishioners and clergy, government members took part in the pilgrimage.
The pilgrims were joined by the Cossacks and OGRF military, who came to the place where the old cathedral had been with holy banners. Here, the bishops consecrated a memorial plaque to commemorate the Orthodox cathedral destroyed in the 1930th.
On the occasion of the two memorable dates in the history of Pridnestrovie, two important Christians' relics had been brought to Pridnestrovie: the reliquary cross with a part of the Turin Shroud and parts of the relics of the twelve disciples and the reliquary monstrance which allegedly contains a thorn of Christ's crown of thorns. From 11 to 20 September these sacred objects will be in Bendery's Transfiguration Cathedral, where everyone may reverently kiss them. After 21 September the relics will be moved to Tiraspol's Nativity Cathedral and Cross Exaltation Cathedral.
Tomorrow's programme also includes events on the 20th anniversary of the diocese and 200th anniversary of Transfiguration Cathedral. In the morning there will be a Divine Liturgy in cathedral, after which there will be a cross procession. A concert of Pridnestrovie's Defence Ministry orchestra will be given at the church square, and in the evening another concert will be held in the city's House of Culture.
