Tallinn, June 19, 2025
Photo: err.ee
Estonian Parliament is trying for the second time to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church, a self-governing body within the Moscow Patriarchate.
The legislative body earlier passed amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act that would have effectively banned the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church and Holy Dormition-Pükhtitsa Monastery due to their canonical connection to the Russian Orthodox Church. However, President Alar Karis declined to sign the bill into law, saying it contradicted the constitution and could do more harm than good.
However, taking the President’s comments into account, the Parliament again passed the law in three sessions, the final reading coming yesterday, June 18, reports err.ee.
68 MPs voted for the new amendments and 17 against.
In the new version of the amendments, churches and other institutions were given an extension from two to six months to make changes to their statutes to sever any ties with Russia. The Estonian Church has already amended its name and statutes to more fully reflect its legal and administrative independence, but politicians continue their campaign against it.
Parliament also excluded the prohibition on a religious organization being led by a person located in a foreign state, as this wording, according to the President, could have too broad an interpretation. The original wording was also an attack on the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church, as its primate, His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Tallinn has been located in Russia since Estonia expelled him without cause last year.
The new amendments state that a church or congregation cannot, based on its statutes, be economically connected to a religious center or leadership located in a country that poses a threat to Estonia.
However, “These changes that were made to the bill are only superficial, cosmetic in nature, not fundamental. And in reality, constitutional contradictions weren’t eliminated,” says Varro Vooglaid of the EKRE faction.
“Essentially, the Riigikogu is, for the second time in a row, adopting a law that consciously and deliberately contradicts the constitution. Our conviction is very simple. The principle of rule of law means that no matter how good, necessary, and desired political ambitions are considered, they shouldn’t be pushed through if they contradict the constitution.”
Meanwhile, the explanatory note to the bill still claims that Estonia respects religious freedom.
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