Tallinn, September 4, 2024
Estonia's Pukhtitsa Monastery filed its own complaint. Photo: tripadvisor.ru
The Estonian Orthodox Church and Holy Dormition-Pukhtitsa Monastery have filed separate complaints with a Tallinn court “in order to eliminate the illegal consequences caused by the statement of the Riigikogu [Parliament]” on May 6 that the Moscow Patriarchate is an institution supporting Russian military aggression.
On the basis of this statement, the Estonian Ministry of the Interior called for the Estonian Church to separate from the Patriarchate. On August 20, the Council of the Estonian Orthodox Church amended Church statutes to remove references to the statutes of the Russian Orthodox Church, thus enshrining the EOC’s administrative independence.
The EOC also changed its title to simply the “Estonian Orthodox Church,” although yesterday’s press release by the Church’s legal counsel refers to it as the “Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.”
For the Moscow Patriarchate, the EOC is a self-governing Church within the Patriarchate, and Pukhtitsa Monastery is a stavropegial institution directly under the omophorion of Patriarch Kirill.
The Church and monastery’s complaints specifically call for them to be removed from the list of supporters of military aggression.
“The Riigikogu clearly overreacted with such a statement, given that the Russian Orthodox Church is a multi-million and multinational community of clergy and laity, whose canonical structure also includes independent Churches and monasteries,” the Sirel & Partners press release reads.
The applicants have expressed a clear position against the war in Ukraine and refrain from political life and hostile propaganda. Federal authorities themselves have acknowledged several times that they have seen nothing suspicious or dangerous coming from the EOC.
The applicants’ right to be heard “was violated with unjustified haste and infringing treatment,” the law firm writes, emphasizing that the Parliament didn’t hear out Church and monastery representatives before making its declaration in May.
The members of the Riigikogu should take responsibility for their actions, which have damaged the EOC’s reputation and subjected it to pressure.
The press release concludes noting that “The Republic of Estonia, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is conducting bilateral negotiations with both the EOC-MP and Pukhtitsa Monastery so that they reduce the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate and/or sever ties with it.”
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