Kuremäe Convent rules out steps to leave Moscow Patriarchate
The Kuremäe Convent, which operates directly under the authority of the patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (known as a stavropegial convent), responded to a request from the Ministry of the Interior to leave the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and abandon its stavropegial status. In its response, the convent stated that it could not comply with this request for legal and religious reasons.
The convent's prioress, Abbess Filareta, stated in her letter to Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE) that, according to the convent's statutes, which align with the Estonian Churches and Congregations Act, the convent does not have the authority to propose leaving the hierarchical structure of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
"According to item 18.10 of the ROC's statutes, if the convent independently decides to leave the hierarchical structure and jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church without legitimate authorization, it would lose its affiliation with the ROC. This would lead to the cessation of the convent's activities as a religious organization. This provision in the ROC's statutes also applies to the Pühtitsa Dormition Convent (Kuremäe Convent), as Article 12 of the Churches and Congregations Act requires that the grounds and procedures for dissolving the convent's operations be defined in its statutes," wrote Abbess Filareta (Kalacheva).
She further explained that the convent's governing bodies consist of the ROC's patriarch, the convent's prioress and its spiritual council.
"This list does not include the authority to decide on exiting the hierarchical structure or jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. Therefore, neither the prioress nor the spiritual council has the right to make such a decision," Abbess Filareta emphasized.
Additionally, she provided reasons why the convent cannot relinquish its stavropegial status, noting that only the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church has the authority to initiate such a change.
"According to paragraph 3 of chapter 18 in the canonical statutes of the Russian Orthodox Church, monasteries are declared stavropegial by the decision of the patriarch of Moscow and all Russia and the Holy Synod, following a canonical procedure. Therefore, the issue of granting or revoking stavropegial status to a monastery is exclusively the prerogative of the patriarch of Moscow and all Russia," Abbess Filareta wrote.
She added that neither the ROC's canonical statutes nor the convent's own statutes grant the patriarch the right to independently decide on the convent's withdrawal from the hierarchical structure and jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. "Such a decision requires a series of ecclesiastical events. This type of decision is not made unilaterally but requires a collegial approach," she noted.
Filareta also wrote that the convent's statutes do not grant either the convent or its governing bodies the right to petition the patriarch to renounce its stavropegial status.
"We have previously communicated that such a petition is not possible. In our response from June 2024, we explained our position through the obligation to fulfill the vow taken upon entering monastic life. A person entering monasticism takes a vow of complete obedience. Henceforth, they are no longer guided by personal desires or their own will but by obedience. Members of the convent do not possess individual will; we live in obedience. Therefore, the convent does not have the right to submit such a petition," Filareta explained.
"We tried to convey this point to ministry representatives during our meeting in April, stating that only the ministry itself could initiate such a request. In the meantime, we have been compelled to examine this issue thoroughly within the context of internal church relations. As a result, we can say that such an initiative on the part of the convent would be, quite literally, spiritual death for our nuns, as it would break our unity with the Universal Church and, most distressingly, result in the loss of the presence of the Holy Spirit. While we sensed this before, we now see that the Church's canons also warn us of these consequences," the convent's response to the ministry states.
The convent leader also provided an extensive overview of the convent's founding and history, emphasizing the special role of the former head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, originally from Estonia, who granted stavropegial status to the Kuremäe Convent in June 1990, prior to Estonia's restoration of independence.
Convent denies participation in politics
Abbess Filareta also emphasized that the convent's history contains numerous examples and evidence showing that its residents have refrained from participating in political or secular activities. She cited instances such as the convent's refusal to join a religious procession in Tallinn initiated by Metropolitan Cornelius, then head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK), and its decision to refrain from prayers "for victory."
"Everyone familiar with this matter knows that this prayer has never been recited at the convent. The convent's Spiritual Council decided instead to offer prayers for the unity and salvation of all who come to the church," Abbess Filareta stressed.
"We have the right, based on the views of the convent's Spiritual Council, to define the spiritual nature of what is happening. Our choices are guided by our spiritual experience and our right to act freely. Regardless of who issues a request or demand – be they politicians or clergy – we decide independently whether to fulfill, ignore or categorically refuse them," she explained.
Abbess distances herself from Patriarch Kirill
The convent's leader also distanced herself from recent actions taken by the current Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill, who has repeatedly and forcefully expressed support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin's imperial ambitions. Patriarch Kirill's actions are a primary reason behind the Ministry of the Interior's request for the convent to separate from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
"There is a vast array of the Patriarch's sermons, articles and statements made at various gatherings, yet the Church cannot simply define the inner state of his soul as 'predatory and laying waste to the Church.' He participates in non-ecclesiastical gatherings as he sees fit, speaking at length, which leaves room for mistakes or deceptions. Like any member of the Church, the patriarch may falter. Nonetheless, the Church does not perish due to the errors of individual people," wrote Abbess Filareta. "If the current patriarch acts against God, these actions will soon fail and he will cease to be a member of the Christian Church. With this in mind, the Church does not pray for the patriarch himself but rather prays that the Lord guide his heart so that he does not turn away from God in his inner life, as the Pühtitsa Convent prays for the Estonian government and military," her letter stated.
In conclusion, the leader of the Kuremäe Convent recalled that Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets had confirmed that the state has no complaints regarding the convent's activities and that the convent has not engaged in any political actions.
The convent had already stated in April that it cannot independently leave Moscow's jurisdiction and that, if necessary, the Estonian state itself should address Patriarch Kirill directly.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Marcus Turovski