Thousands of people from across the country gathered on Saturday outside the Nativity Cathedral in Chisinau to attend a service, followed by sermons, in support of the initiative to introduce religion courses in Moldovan schools. It was agreed at the assembly that the Moldovan Metropolitan Church would start collecting signatures, at least 200,000, to call a legislative referendum in order to make “The Basics of Orthodoxy” a mandatory course in school, Info-Prim Neo reports. Addressing the assembly, Metropolitan Bishop Vladimir said the introduction of the course would not be an innovation, but a legitimate thing in Moldova. “Instead of receiving an official answer from the Moldovan Parliament (…), we received a letter from the Ministry of Education, which suggested religion should be taught in Sunday schools”, said Vladimir. Chisinau Archpriest Zosima Toia told the assembly the parents need to ensure that the souls of their children remain ‘clean’. “We all know that our children are forced to learn some disciplines that run counter to religion, like that people descend from apes and that there isn’t anything after death”. Supporters that gathered in the Cathedral’s plaza said they hoped the Basics of Orthodoxy would improve their children’s education. “The parents want this course. Such a course once existed in our school, but it was optional. You know that it is different when the child is obliged to attend this course alongside other disciplines”, said Olga Mardari, a woman from Telenesti district. “We are Orthodox Christians, this is our only faith. The government should support us when we say our children must learn our religious tradition”, said father Nicolae Lisnic, the priest of a village in Sangerei district. “Foreign religions appeared in our country because no one controlled how sectarians approached people”, added Elizaveta Ciurca, a woman from Telenesti. The event also included a mass for the WWII victims ahead of the Victory Day on May 9.