Lauri Läänemets stated that the amendments made to the statutes of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) should not be merely cosmetic or administrative but must move towards a substantial separation from the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate. According to Läänemets, there are still concerns regarding this.

"The state's intention has essentially been, and still is, to disentangle the church operating in Estonia and its community from the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate. However, this decision by the church assembly cannot take effect until it is approved by Patriarch Kirill. The mere fact that this approval is necessary highlights the continued influence of the Moscow patriarch over the church operating here. Moreover, the assembly was led via video link by Metropolitan Eugene, whose residence permit in Estonia was not extended for security reasons, yet he continues to serve as the official leader of the church here," commented the minister of the interior.

Läänemets views MPEÕK's intention to rename itself as the "Estonian Orthodox Church" as problematic.

"We likely cannot accept this. The name of a religious organization must clearly differ from other registered legal entities and cannot be misleading, and unfortunately, the new name does not meet these criteria. The new name might theoretically be acceptable if this organization were to unite all Orthodox congregations and believers in Estonia, but it does not," he explained.

At the same time, Läänemets acknowledged that MPEÕK has made efforts in recent months to find ways to reduce the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate over Orthodox believers and congregations in Estonia.

"The desired name change and the revisions in the statutes are signs of this. But reduction is not enough; there needs to be continued progress towards fully severing these ties. It is not sufficient to settle for symbolic changes like proposing various new names. From a security perspective, the state's interest remains in breaking the current substantial subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate, which continues to collaborate with the regime of Vladimir Putin, who is waging a terrorist war against Ukraine. Cosmetic changes are not enough," Läänemets added.

On Tuesday, the MPEÕK Synod amended the church's statutes, removing references to the Moscow Patriarchate. The council approved a new version of the church statutes, affirming the church's administrative, economic and educational independence, as well as its independence in civil matters, and adopted the name "Estonian Orthodox Church."

--

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