Abstract:
In 1917-1918 the Bessarabian Orthodox Church adopted a series of reforms, which aimed to "democratize" the church administration. The desire of the clergy and laity to make some changes was inspired by the wave of reformation and democratization, which dominated the structures of the Russian Empire, with the February Revolution and the abdication of the tsar. The parish is an important element in the administrative organization of the diocese, where the special connection and collaboration between the clergy and the laity is made. The opinion of the delegates from the Diocesan Congresses of 1917 presupposed the fact that the structure and the model of functioning of the parish institution from the tsarist period was incomplete, because it did not ensure an efficient representation of the laity. For this reason, it was decided to implement a series of reforms within the parish administration in order to establish a real collaboration and involvement of the laity in the parish life.
