Constantinople’s Estonian Church proposes vicariate to subsume churches facing state pressure

Tallinn, September 23, 2024

Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Photo: news.err.ee Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Photo: news.err.ee     

The Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC) has proposed the creation of a vicariate to subsume the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) under its control.

An EAOC representative told the Estonian outlet news.err.ee that it wants to help the EOC completely break away from the Moscow Patriarchate, which the state has classified as a supporter of state aggression—a label that the EOC has continually demonstrated does not apply to itself.

Last month, the Council of the EOC voted to amend its statutes, removing all references to the statutes of the Moscow Patriarchate, though this move didn’t satisfy the state. Tarmo Miilits, Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, wrote in a letter to His Grace Bishop Daniil of Tartu, Vicar of the Tallinn Diocese:

The initial general assessment is that the presented text does not fully comply with the clear expectation expressed by the state in previous meetings that the current Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will sever all ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). In your letter, you state that you have worked to reduce the administrative influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the text of the statute. The state’s expectation, based on Parliament’s statement declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution that supports Russia's military aggression, is that this influence will be completely abolished.

Against this background, the EAOC is proposing to create an autonomous vicariate within its own jurisdiction for the parishes of the EOC. “This would mean that what was the EOC-MP would remain as a distinct ecclesiastical unit, able to continue its religious practices, use its own language and calendar, and be fully financially independent,” the EAOC spokesperson said.

However, the proposal doesn’t address the fact that joining the EAOC would mean entering into communion with the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” created by Constantinople in 2018.

This is not the first time that Constantinople has put forth a plan to subsume all parishes in Estonia under its authority. In 2016, Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn said that he has a plan for bringing all churches under his authority.

However, the EOC has said that it’s willing to hold discussions with the EAOC, but neither the hierarchy nor the faithful are willing to simply join the EAOC.

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9/23/2024

See also
Estonian lawyers representing Orthodox Church: No laws have been broken Estonian lawyers representing Orthodox Church: No laws have been broken Estonian lawyers representing Orthodox Church: No laws have been broken Estonian lawyers representing Orthodox Church: No laws have been broken
The Estonian Orthodox Church has enlisted the help of a local law firm as the state calls upon the Church to sever its legal and canonical ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. Estonia’s Pukhtitsa Monastery: If the state wants us to change jurisdiction, it can make its own appeal to the Patriarch Estonia’s Pukhtitsa Monastery: If the state wants us to change jurisdiction, it can make its own appeal to the Patriarch Estonia’s Pukhtitsa Monastery: If the state wants us to change jurisdiction, it can make its own appeal to the Patriarch Estonia’s Pukhtitsa Monastery: If the state wants us to change jurisdiction, it can make its own appeal to the Patriarch
If the government of the Republic of Estonia, represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs, insists on changing the jurisdiction of the monastery, then as the initiator of the process, the government itself may approach Patriarch Kirill with a proposal to cancel the stavropegial status of Pukhtitsa Monastery. Abbess Philareta noted that such a course is canonically legitimate for the convent’s residents. Estonian gov’t sees no tangible threat from Estonian Church but pressuring its parishes to join Constantinople Estonian gov’t sees no tangible threat from Estonian Church but pressuring its parishes to join Constantinople Estonian gov’t sees no tangible threat from Estonian Church but pressuring its parishes to join Constantinople Estonian gov’t sees no tangible threat from Estonian Church but pressuring its parishes to join Constantinople
“We’ve already held the first [parish] meetings and plan to further expand this activity next week,” said Raivo Kuyt, Vice Chancellor for Population and Civil Society of the Ministry of the Interior.

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