During their meeting, the patriarch and Karis discussed the roll and activities of the Estonian Orthodox Church, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, education, environmental and climate issues.

This is the fourth official visit of the patriarch to Estonia, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church and the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of the church.

Bartholomew I is also set to meet with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, chair of the Riigikogu's Estonia-Greece parliamentary group Annely Akkermann, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna and Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets.

He will visit the Arvo Pärt Center to meet with Arvo and Nora Pärt, as well as the Bank of Estonia Museum where he will meet the central bank's former council chair and former Estonian PM Mart Laar. The patriarch's other meetings will be with the Mayor of Tallinn Mihhail Kõlvart and his Tartu counterpart Urmas Klaas. Bartholomew will give a lecture at the University of Tartu.

The pastoral visit between September 15-20 will see His Holiness visit Tartu, Värska, Valga, Pärnu, Hiiumaa, Tallinn and Aruküla. There will be a liturgy or prayer at every stop along the way where the patriarch will meet with Orthodox faithful and local government heads.

On September 16, Bartholomew I will oversee an open air liturgy in the Värska Song Festival Grounds.

The patriarch will attend the reopening of the Puski Church in Hiiumaa and the Aruküla Holy Trinity Church in Harju County.

At the end of his visit, Bartholomew will meet with President of the Estonian Council of Churches, Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) Urmas Viilma and other representatives of the churches' council and attend an ecumenical service at the Tallinn St Mary's Cathedral.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!