Tallinn, Estonia, April 20, 2018
Photo: orthodox.ee The newly-departed Metropolitan Cornelius of Tallinn and All Estonia was a diligent man, full of zeal to fulfill all the tasks that the Lord laid before him through His holy Church. His entire life “was devoted to serving God and people,” as His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia wrote in his condolences to the Holy Synod, archpastors, pastors, monastics, and laity of the Estonian Orthodox Church, published on the site of the Russian Orthodox Church.
His Eminence Met. Cornelius, who had led the Estonian Orthodox Church since 1990, reposed yesterday in his 94th year of life and his 72nd year of clerical ministry in the Church.
His funeral will be held on Sunday at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn, as decided at yesterday’s emergency meeting of the Holy Synod of the Estonian Orthodox Church, the press service of the Estonian Church reports. Before the meeting, the metropolitan’s body was placed in the cathedral yesterday evening, and the first memorial service was celebrated for the repose of his soul, after which the clergy began to read the Gospel over his body.
“Throughout many years of labors in the vineyard of Christ, [Met. Cornelius] steadily strove with diligence and zeal to fulfill all of the obediences placed upon him by the hierarchy, and tried to be blameless worker, rightly dividing the word of truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15),” Pat. Kirill wrote of the reposed metropolitan.
“His Eminence worked hard for the good of the holy Church, and therefore earned the love of spiritual children, the clergy, and his flock … His efforts were especially directed at affirming canonical Orthodoxy in Estonia, at preserving the people in the bosom of the Church of Christ,” His Holiness also noted.
The Synod of the Estonian Church also announced that His Eminence Archbishop Lazar of Narva and Prichudye is to be temporarily commemorated at the Divine services and will serve as the Locum Tenens to the metropolitan throne until a new metropolitan can be elected.
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