Tallinn, June 4, 2025
Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Tallinn. Photo: Facebook
Various services for the future of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church are being held in Tallinn parishes throughout the week, as members of Parliament meet to discuss amendments aimed at banning the Church.
The Riigikogu’s Legal Affairs Committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss proposals for amendments to the draft law on churches and parishes, with which they intend to ban the Church for its association with the Moscow Patriarchate. The Riigikogu passed a version of the bill in three readings earlier this year, though it was rejected by President Alar Karis as an unconstitutional infringement upon religious freedom. MPs are now trying to tweak the bill to make it passable.
Against this background, a schedule of services in Tallinn churches was published by the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.
Each church is serving a moleben with an akathist to either the Most Holy Theotokos or St. Nicholas, with some also celebrating the Divine Liturgy.
The Estonian Church has attempted to cooperate with the state amidst its increasing concerns and demands in regards to its connection to the Moscow Patriarchate while also maintaining its canonical status, but Ministers and MPs continue to work towards a full ban on the Church.
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