MPEÕK wins court ruling to change name to Estonian Christian Orthodox Church
After repeated rejections of proposed name changes, the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Moskva Patriarhaadi Eesti Õigeusu Kirik, MPEÕK) has won the legal right to change its name to the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (Eesti Kristlik Õigeusu Kirik, EKÕK).
In September 2024, the MPEÕK submitted a request to the nationwide Registration Department to amend the church's statutes and name, seeking to adopt the new name of the Estonian Orthodox Church.
The Registration Department forwarded the application to a judge to handle, who deemed the proposed new name misleading because it incorrectly suggests that it encompasses all Orthodox Christians in Estonia.
The MPEÕK then chose a new name, the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church, but the Registration Department deemed this name misleading as well, for the same reason. At the time, no other issues were identified with the church's application by the registrar.
On March 24, Tartu County Court ruled in favor of the MPEÕK, granting the appeal filed by attorneys Steven-Hristo Evestus and Artur Knjazev on behalf of the church.
According to the court's ruling, the new name is compliant with the law, and is not misleading in terms of the church's purpose, scope or legal form.
The court deemed the clarifications provided by the appellants to be appropriate and understandable, noting that the new name accurately reflects the church's purpose and scope — specifically, it is a Christian Orthodox church operating in Estonia. In the court's opinion, under conditions of religious freedom, it is not possible to conclude that any one church could encompass all believers.
"With [our] new name and statutes, our church emphasizes its self-governing status," Bishop Daniel said.
"Over the past year, we have had to endure hostile attitudes due to our canonical ties to the Moscow Patriarchate, which is also the origin of the name of our church," he continued. "The new name and statutes reflect our independence in church-administrative, economic, educational and civil authority-related affairs."
The court ruling on this matter is final and has entered into force.
The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (EKÕK), formerly the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK), is distinct from the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAÕK), an Orthodox church under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
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Editor: Barbara Oja, Aili Vahtla
