The Estonian Ministry of Interior and the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) have agreed to reduce and ultimately eliminate the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate over the EOC.
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, met on July 30 to assess progress and discuss future actions.
The Ministry of Interior reiterated the government’s position that the EOC must completely separate from the Moscow Patriarchate both canonically and legally. Raivo Küüt emphasized the need to protect Estonia’s population from the influence of a hostile regime while ensuring that religious freedom is maintained. The government is committed to collaborating with all parties involved and has no intentions of closing EOC churches or disrupting parish activities.
The EOC presented a two-stage plan for the disconnection process, starting with amending current statutes to remove references to the Russian Orthodox Church and focusing on the 1993 Tomos. They also discussed appealing to the Moscow Patriarchate to abolish the stavropegic status of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky.
Discussions also addressed the potential disconnection of the Pühtitsa Dormition Convent, with the Ministry of Interior willing to address its unique status separately. Evestus highlighted the importance of negotiating with legal and ecclesiastical principles to ensure religious freedom and the congregation’s peace.
Next steps include the EOC submitting proposals for statute amendments and an implementation timetable to the Ministry of Interior by the end of August. The Ministry will provide its response by the end of September and schedule a meeting with the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church representatives to plan the second stage of the separation process.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas