The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) has passed a landmark bill aimed at severing ties between the Estonian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate, citing national security concerns amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions.
The bill, supported by the Estonian government, received 60 votes in favor and 13 against. Officially titled as a law for the “prevention of the instrumentalization of religious organizations to incite hatred or violence,” the legislation reflects growing concern over foreign influence within Estonian religious institutions.
According to the explanatory note accompanying the bill, while Estonia continues to uphold religious freedom, it also has a duty to safeguard the state and society from security threats. The law prohibits foreign individuals or legal entities from exerting significant control over Estonian religious organizations if they are found to pose risks to national security, constitutional order, or public peace, or if they support military aggression or promote war.
Under the new law, religious organizations operating in Estonia will be required to revise their statutes and restructure their governing bodies within two months of the law taking effect. In practical terms, this mandates the Estonian Orthodox Church to break off any administrative, financial, or spiritual links with the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate.
“We are strengthening religious freedom while ensuring that religion cannot be used as a tool against the Estonian state or its people,” said Estonian Minister of the Interior Igor Taro. “In the current security climate, structures operating in Estonia have no alternative but to end their affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate and distance themselves from Kremlin narratives and influence.”
The Minister also emphasized that the law clarifies definitions around the governance of religious associations and addresses concerns over financial dependencies linked to foreign governments deemed hostile to Estonia.
What the Orthodox Church of Estonia (Ecumenical Patriarchate) says
The Orthodox Church of Estonia (EAÕK) emphasizes that peace and love are the foundation of Christian action, and calls on all parties — the state and its representatives, clergy, and congregations of both the Orthodox Church of Estonia and the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (EKÕK, formerly MPEÕK), as well as the member churches of the Estonian Council of Churches — to engage in cooperation and mutual understanding.
Our goal is to ensure that Estonia becomes a safer place for all its inhabitants, while also preserving freedom of religion and respect for different religious traditions. The EAÕK includes congregations that follow both the Estonian and Russian Orthodox traditions. Most congregations use the Estonian language in liturgies and other services and rituals, but there are also congregations that primarily use Church Slavonic, alongside some use of Estonian.
The amendment to the law does not require changing the tradition of worship, let alone a “conversion” of faith, as some critics have suggested. The primary intent of the amendment is to prevent the influence of hostile states or extremist organizations through religious bodies, thereby strengthening the security of our country.
Metropolitan Stephanos of the EAÕK has offered the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (EKÕK, formerly MPEÕK), the possibility of a vicariate status, should it break off its subordinate relationship with Moscow. In this case, a vicariate would mean an independent church unit, with its senior bishop acknowledging the EAÕK’s metropolitan and remaining in communion with the global Orthodox Church through him. Otherwise, the vicariate would maintain its own traditions, use Church Slavonic, and independently manage its internal life.
The law change also helps restore the situation that existed in Estonia before the Second World War, when people of different nationalities served together in harmony and brotherly love in a unified Orthodox Church that canonically belonged to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Historically, Estonia has been part of the territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate — except during times when Russia conquered Estonia and incorporated it.
We are guided in this process of seeking harmony by the words of Holy Scripture:
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9, KJV)
And also by the exhortation of the Apostle Paul, which is especially relevant in today’s world:
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” (Romans 12:10, KJV)
Now, as we approach Holy Week, which in spirit takes us to the Resurrection through the institution of the Last Supper, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, and the Crucifixion, it is appropriate to bring the true essence of the Christian faith to the forefront: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Mark 12:31, KJV)
The Orthodox Church of Estonia calls on all parties to approach this matter with calmness and understanding so that together we can create a safer and more unified Estonia. The topic of the Orthodox Church concerns approximately a tenth of Estonia’s population, some of whom belong to the Orthodox Church of Estonia and some to the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church.
