The autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church, officially recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1885, was the outcome of a long-standing process of ecclesiastical and national development. This study examines the contribution of the hierarchs of the Metropolis of Moldavia to the assertion of ecclesiastical autonomy, within the broader historical context of an already well established tradition of self-governance in the Moldavian Church. Against the backdrop of favorable historical circumstances, from the period preceding the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza to the War of Independence of 1877-1878 and the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania, the Church hierarchy and state officials undertook a comprehensive effort to affirm the Church’s identity. Among the key figures actively involved in the process of achieving autocephaly were the hierarchs: Melchisedec Ștefănescu, Calinic Miclescu and Iosif Naniescu.