"Looking at what he has said, what their (MPEÕK – ed.) boss has said, what difference is left between a Muslim religious leader who suggests that everyone in the West needs to be slaughtered and Moscow Patriarch Kirill who says that every Ukrainian needs to be killed and that they're in a holy war against all other religions," Läänemets told ERR Friday.

That is why the minister believes the Friday morning statement by the church's synod, according to which the decisions of the World Russian People's Council under Patriarch Kirill are not binding for the church in Estonia and that it does not recognize the council's final document, is not enough.

Läänemets said that while the synod's position is acceptable and constitutes movement in the right direction, "the problem remains. It does not solve the problem because the church's head in Moscow, in whose jurisdiction it remains, is still Patriarch Kirill," he added.

Leaving Kirill's jurisdiction would solve the problem

"The problem will be solved once this subordination is no more. How they'll do it, whether the decision will be made in Moscow or whether they'll make it in Estonia, I cannot say," the minister said. "Words must be followed by actions. We cannot be completely sure they are being sincere until that happens," Läänemets noted.

"The fact remains that if we call Muslims who send such messages and make such statements terrorists, then we need to do the same for the Moscow patriarch today," he went on.

"It is a big problem for Estonia because that same patriarch has said that former Soviet Union states should not be independent. /.../ The head of the church is sending terrorist messages. The head of the church is part of Putin's war machine, his propaganda machine, and we have reason to believe that he is preparing the Russian-speaking community in Russia and elsewhere for Russia to be even more aggressive and forceful in its military activity in Ukraine and, who knows, maybe also somewhere else. It is directly a security threat for Estonia," the interior affairs minister remarked.

Kirill a problem for Estonia's faithful

Läänemets said that Patriarch Kirill's position inevitably affects members of the MPEÕK in Estonia, even though they are not to blame for the rhetoric.

"We need to respect the religion and its beliefs, and I believe no one wants to feel part of this, as the [synod's] statement suggested. But, unfortunately, that is just how it is in a situation where MPEÕK is directly under [the Russian church's] jurisdiction.

"Those who belong to the congregations of the Orthodox church are not terrorists," the minister emphasized. "We are talking about jurisdiction, and rather everything in Russia and Moscow wears the terrorist countenance."

Further steps to be taken after analysis

The interior minister said he has asked Estonian law enforcement to analyze the subject matter. "Estonia's next steps will be decided once that analysis is ready. It will be about a week," Läänemets pledged.

"Our law enforcement has its methodologies for such things, they weigh different security scenarios, and we can proceed based on what those analyses tell us."

"I believe the ball is in the court of the Orthodox Church that answers to Moscow, and it is something they can think about before taking appropriate action. Rather, we will be waiting for input while law enforcement works on its analyses. But I also believe that everyone understands that while you can distance yourself, there is still a certain conflict of messages if you subject yourself to a spiritual leader who is vowing to destroy Estonia," Läänemets said.

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