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The new Diocese administration building in Tiraspol.

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Jokingly, Pridnestrovie's government sometimes says that the young country has God's blessing. While that may be hard to prove, it is true that church officials recognize the country's president and that Tiraspol-based Bishop Justinian regularly accompanies the nation's leadership at official PMR events.

The Moscow Patriarchate has been instrumental in strengthening the Russian Orthodox Church in Pridnestrovie and many of the followers see this as an important blessing of the Church towards the new country. To believers everywhere, this move underscored Pridnestrovie's sovereign status as a separate nation.

Pridnestrovie, also known unofficially as Transnistria, declared independence in 1990. Although it is sometimes considered a part of Moldova, it was never part of an independent Moldova at any time in history. By the time Moldova declared its independence in 1991, Pridnestrovie was already outside of its jurisdiction.