Tallinn, March 19, 2025
Photo: Met. Stephanos of Constantinople’s EAOC. Photo: err.ee
In a new statement from its Public Relations Department, the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC) came out in support of a ban on the larger Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, calling it a move to “strengthen national security.” The statement is entitled, “Estonia is on the Path Towards a Unified Orthodox Church.”
The Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) is an autonomous body within the Moscow Patriarchate, which means it is, according to its 1920 tomos from St. Tikhon of Moscow, independent “in economic, administrative, educational, and social matters concerning the Church.”
Due to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s support for and various statements about the war in Ukraine and the “Russian World” concept, the Estonian Parliament formally branded the Moscow Patriarchate a supporter of aggression in May. And despite the EOC’s administrative independence and the fact that it has repeatedly voiced its disagreement with the war and the “Russian World” concept, the authorities apply this label of “aggressor” to it as well as a pretext for forcing it to submit to Constantinople or be banned altogether.
Estonian Parliament declares Russian Church accomplice in state aggression, Estonian hierarch respondsThe Riigikogu adopted a statement on Monday, May 6, which formally identifies the Moscow Patriarchate as a supporter of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Estonian Orthodox Church again pleads for its survival as state considers banEstonian Parliament is currently considering amendments to the Churches and Congregation Acts that will ban the Estonian Orthodox Church if it doesn’t leave the Moscow Patriarchate.
Estonian Minister calls to recognize Moscow Patriarchate as terrorist organization, Church respondsThe Estonian Minister of the Interior wants the state to recognize the Moscow Patriarchate as a terrorist organization and therefore ban the Estonian Orthodox Church—an autonomous body within the Patriarchate.The EOC has appealed its branding as an aggressor, but the courts have refused to hear their arguments. It has also, in accordance with state demands, amended its statutes and changed its legal name twice to reflect a greater degree of independence from the Moscow Patriarchate, but the authorities have simply refused to register the new statutes and name.
Estonian Supreme Court rejects Church’s appeal over parliamentary branding as war supporterThe Church and monastery appealed to the courts in September “to eliminate the unlawful consequences caused by the statement and exclude the Church and monastery from the list of supporters of military aggression.”
Estonia demands Orthodox Church to change its name, then refuses to register new nameBoth the Estonian Church and Pükhtitsa Monastery have repeatedly warned and protested that the state is attempting to wholly ban them.Estonian Parliament is currently considering a bill that will ban the activities of the EOC. According to Constantinople’s EAOC, this bill “is not aimed at restricting religious freedom, but at strengthening national security.”
Conversely, Abbess Philareta of Pükhtitsa Monastery, which is stavropegial under Pat. Kirill, has stated plainly to MPs that they know perfectly well they are trying to make the Estonian Church illegal and thus ban it. Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets has also said as much in the past.
Pükhtitsa abbess to Estonian Parliament: You know perfectly well that you’re trying to ban usPükhtitsa was founded in 1891 with assistance from St. John of Kronstadt. Besides the Pskov Caves Monastery, it is the only holy habitation to have never closed during the long decades of atheist Bolshevik rule.Further, the EAOC characterizes statements from Pat. Kirill about the Western world being under the influence of Satanism and about the “Russian World” as “a call to Orthodox believers of the Moscow Patriarchate living in Estonia, that Estonia is among the hostile states against whom a holy war is being waged.”
“The Estonian state has an obligation to protect the Estonian population from the influences of a terrorist regime,” the statement continues, referring to Parliament’s decision about the Moscow Patriarchate as an accomplice in aggression.
At the same time, despite their campaign against the Church, state authorities have admitted on more than one occasion that they have no evidence of any threatening activity from the EOC, or from His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Tallinn, who was thus expelled from the country last year without cause.
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.
Metropolitan Evgeny forced to leave EstoniaHis Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Tallinn and All Estonia was forced to leave the country today after the authorities refused to renew his residence permit.The EAOC statement refers to reports of persecution against Orthodox Christians as “Russian propaganda,” even as the state considers a ban on the EOC, and as Ukrainian Orthodox Christians are routinely physically attacked and their churches violently seized and their hierarchs held in detention for months on end on fabricated charges.
“The state has clearly indicated that they have no intention of shutting down the congregations’ religious life, but they are asking for the severing of communion with Moscow,” says the EAOC’s Metropolitan Stephanos. However, the EOC and Pükhtitsa Monastery have repeatedly explained that they are governed by Church statutes and have no authority to unilaterally change their jurisdiction, nor do the faithful have any desire to join Constantinople, which would put them in communion with schismatics of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Pühtitsa abbess responds to Estonia’s demands to change Church jurisdictionThe monastery's way of life is determined by its statutes, which prohibits an unauthorized change of jurisdiction.The statement then recalls that Met. Stephanos has proposed the creation of a vicariate to subsume the churches of the EOC under his authority.
“I told our Russian brothers that I have no plan to subordinate their Church to ours,” the statement quotes Met. Stephanos, but then continues: “If the idea of forming a vicariate is implemented, the bishops of the current Estonian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate would commemorate the name of Metropolitan Stephanos of Estonia instead of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow during Liturgies,” which is a canonical sign of subordination.
The hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the EOC have firmly rejected this proposal from Met. Stephanos.
Estonian Orthodox Church formally rejects proposal to join Constantinople’s jurisdictionOn September 19, the head of the EAOC proposed at a session of the Estonian Council of Churches to create a Russian vicariate to subsume parishes of the EOC-MP.For the Constantinople hierarch, plans to ban the EOC and subsume it under his authority is “an opportunity … to find reconciliation together and prepare for a future where, while remaining true to our Church principles and foundations, all Orthodox believers living in Estonia can coexist in peace and love.”
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