The Episcopal Council of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) has decided that members of the clergy with the right to register civil marriages will be permitted to continue doing so even after legal amendments introducing marriage equality enter into force in Estonia. The clergy, however, will only register marriages between a man and a woman.

Following the Riigikogu's adoption of amendments to the Family Law Act earlier this year, the EELK's Consistory, or executive body, suspended the registration of marriages until a decision was made by the Episcopal Council regarding the acceptance of marriage applications starting January 1, 2024, when the amendments to the Family Law Act are slated to enter into force.

At Tuesday's Episcopal Council meeting at St. Mary's Cathedral (Toomkirik) in Tallinn, EELK bishops, members of the executive body, deanery deans as well as representatives of the Clerical Conference discussed the wording, substance and meaning of the latest version of the law. They also analyzed what moral or religious obstacles the amended law presents to clergy with the power to register civil marriages.

"It's important to emphasize that civil marriage and church marriage have always differed in substance and meaning," Archbishop of the EELK Urmas Viilma commented. "The situation in Estonia as of the new year will call even more attention to this difference, while at the same time underscoring the sanctity of church marriages."

Following deliberations, the archbishop put three options for how to move forward to a vote: terminating the registration of civil marriages, continuing to register them under the same conditions as before, or continuing to register them under specified details.

Of these, the Episcopal Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the third option.

According to this decision, EELK clergy with the power to register civil marriages may continue to do so from next year on condition that the marriage is being registered between a man and a woman. The individuals getting married must furthermore meet the conditions for marriage as understood and taught by the EELK.

The Episcopal Council of the EELK meets twice a year in order to support the archbishop in leading the church, tackling key matters in church life, as well as in shaping the doctrinal positions of the church.

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