An EAÕK spokesperson said there is currently a historic opportunity to start a gradual process toward uniting the two orthodox churches in Estonia.

The spokesperson said: "As a first step, we are now publicly and officially putting forward to the MPEÕK the status of an autonomous vicariate for those congregations which follow the Russian tradition."

"This would mean that what was the MPEÕK would remain as a distinct ecclesiastical unit, able to continue its religious practices, use its own language and calendar, and be fully financially independent," the spokesperson continued.

The statement said under the scheme, the vicariate's bishops would mention the name of the EAÕK metropolitan during the divine liturgy, while priests and deacons could refer to their own (ie. former MPEÕK) local bishop, meaning that there would be no winners and losers, or rather "Christ and the Church would emerge victorious."

The statement also mentioned that all other Christian churches operating in Estonia are in effect witnesses to the offer – which was presented at an Estonian Council of Churches ( Eesti kirikute nõukogu) meeting.

The arrangement has a president, the EAÕK noted, as the Orthodox Church in Estonia was unified until 1940andmost Russian-speaking congregations and monasteries were under the jurisdiction of the EAÕK's Narva diocese, using their language and following their own traditions.

This covered over 150 congregations, served by nearly 200 clergy and also with three religious houses at Kuremäe, Narva and Petseri, and nearly 20 percent of Estonia's population were followers.

The church was forcibly subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate during the Soviet occupation, meaning the EAÕK's activities continued only in exile, until the restoration of Estonian independence.

In May, the Riigikogu adopted a resolution declaring the MPEÕK an institution which supports Russia's military aggression.

At the end of July, the Ministry of the Interior and representatives of the MPEÕK agreed on steps to reduce and eliminate the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate; its metropolitan, Eugene, for instance was refused a renewal on his residency permit in Estonia earlyon this year.

The MPEÕK then presented its own two-phase timeline for separating from the Moscow Patriarchate, which its de facto leader, Bishop Daniel suggested could start in the fall and would look at options for a possible merger with the EAÕK.

Nonetheless, Bishop Daniel told ERR in August that the MPEÕK would inevitably retain "certain canonical ties" with the Patriarchate in Moscow.

The EAÕK falls under the Constantinople patriarchate.

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