Tölpt made his remarks at a time when the legislature is pushing for full severance between Moscow and the MPEÕK, amid national security concerns following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started almost three years ago to the day.

Speaking to "Tereivsioon" Wednesday morning, Tölpt said: "We need to break through this ideological obstacle, as members of the MPEÕK tend to believe that in renouncing the Moscow Patriarchate, they would be renouncing their actual faith, and Russian Orthodoxy."

"This is not the case," he added, noting that the Kremlin's line on Ukraine "does not align with Orthodox teachings, yet this propaganda has been so deeply ingrained."

As for breaking away from Moscow: "My personal view is that they do not want to do it, they have no wish to do it, because the hearts and minds connection that has been established with Russia and Moscow cannot be broken so easily. The Russian Orthodox Church has bound itself so tightly to Moscow's ideology, that I do not see any real ability to break free. And that is why we have been seeing this mindset in Estonia too."

At the same time, not all Orthodox Christians see it that way by any stretch.
"This is a problem we are currently facing is one of security issue for the Estonian state. But it is also a problem for the Orthodox Church, as many Orthodox believers have considered the ideology of the Russian World to be false teaching, even heretical. So we are dealing with a two-layered problem here," Tölpt added.

The expert referenced how Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, together with the Church itself, have been promoting the idea of a Russki Mir ("Russian World").

Under this doctrine, all Russian-speaking peoples and Russian Orthodox believers are mere tools of both the Russian state and the state-compliant Russian Orthodox Church.

As part of this effort, Moscow has framed Russian Orthodox believers worldwide as factotums of the Russian state, regardless of their individual national or religious identities, leading to a global "communion."

Naturally, Eastern Orthodoxy does not begin and end with Russia.
"In the Orthodox Church, there are local churches which all can internally organize different traditions. Russian Orthodoxy is but one of the distinct traditions within the Orthodox Church – there are also the Estonian, Arabic, Greek, Romanian, and Bulgarian traditions, each with their own characteristics.

These can coexist within the same region. In Estonia, there are also other Orthodox churches with distinct traditions, such as Ukrainian Orthodox congregations – they all have the right to practice exactly as they wish. But this does not have to be tied to Russia or to the Russian Orthodox Church," Tölpt went on.

Tölpt also referenced an offer made by Metropolitan Stefanus of the Estonian Orthodox Church (EAÕK) to the MPEÕK: To renounce Moscow so that they would no longer have to obey either Moscow or the Russian Orthodox Church, yet also not having to submit to Constantinople or to the EAÕK.

The EAÕK is organizationally a part of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

This offer, Tölpt said, presents a unique solution, preserving Russian Orthodox traditions while eliminating subordination to any higher ecclesiastical authority.
Within Estonia's legal framework, religious organizations get autonomy, and the MPEÕK would not need to change its traditions or liturgical practices.

"The offer is simply for communion – they can become members of the global Orthodox Church but retain everything else exactly as it is, without any changes: Russian Orthodoxy would stay, but they would not have to submit to anyone. So in a way, they would even gain greater independence than they have now," Tölpt explained.

There is a precedent here too.

Prior to World War II, when Estonia was an independent country, Russian-speaking Orthodox believers in Estonia were able to continue to practice their faith under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The church included the Pühtitsa Convent, and Petseri monastery as was, and operated a separate Russian diocese in Narva, allowing Russian Orthodox traditions to flourish but without Moscow control.

Tölpt pointed out that Russian Orthodox congregations anyway already exist within the EAÕK and in other Orthodox churches worldwide, proof positive that Moscow's authority is not a prerequisite for faith and religious freedom.

This Wednesday, the Riigikogu is to hold the first reading (of three) of amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which, if passed, would completely sever MPEÕK's ties with Moscow.

Nuns from the Kuremäe (Pühtitsa) Convent earlier this week submitted a petition to the Riigikogu protesting that legal amendment.

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