The Estonian Ministry of Interior and the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) have reached an agreement to reduce and ultimately eliminate the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate over the EOC.
On July 30, key representatives, including Raivo Küüt from the Ministry of Interior, Bishop Daniel Lepisk of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and lawyer Steven Evestus from the EOC and the Pühtitsa Dormition Convent, convened to review progress and consider future actions.
The Ministry of Interior reaffirmed the government’s stance that the EOC must completely separate from the Moscow Patriarchate both canonically and legally. Raivo Küüt emphasized that “the state must protect the population of Estonia from the effects of a hostile regime.” However, he assured that the government would collaborate with all parties involved and has no plans to close churches under the EOC’s jurisdiction or hinder parish activities. “Religious freedom is guaranteed and services will continue,” Küüt confirmed.
The EOC outlined its vision for the disconnection process, proposing a two-stage plan. The first stage involves amending the current statutes to remove references to the Russian Orthodox Church, retaining only a reference to the 1993 Tomos. The EOC provided details on the necessary changes to its statutes and the decision-making process. They also informed about the Synod’s appeal to the Moscow Patriarchate to abolish the stavropegic status of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky.
Discussions also covered the Pühtitsa Dormition Convent’s potential disconnection. The Ministry of Interior expressed a willingness to address the Convent’s unique status and conditions separately. Evestus emphasized the importance of both the EOC and the Convent in negotiations, aiming for solutions based on legal and ecclesiastical principles. He stressed that the goal is to uphold religious freedom and ensure the EOC congregation’s tranquility without creating a sense of pressure or exclusion.
The next steps include the EOC submitting specific proposals for amending the statutes and a detailed implementation timetable to the Ministry of Interior by the end of August. The Ministry will respond with its position by the end of September. Additionally, the EOC will schedule a meeting with representatives of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church to begin preparing a roadmap for the second stage of the separation process.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
