Hierarch of Estonian Church: We are working on the ROC subordination issue

Bishop Daniil. Photo: ERR

In Estonia, the authorities are demanding that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate clearly state its position on leaving the ROC within July. However, the EOC MP wants to approach this issue calmly and thoughtfully, and in accordance with legal norms, ERR reports.

"Today, we might say that one person was wrong. I moved under the canonical authority of another. Tomorrow, another person makes a mistake, and do I have to seek a third? It has never been like this in the church, and I would very much like it to remain that way now, despite state interference. In politics, we see people change, governments change, parties change – all of this happens very quickly. In the church, we expect a somewhat different approach," said Bishop Daniil of Tartu, Vicar of the Tallinn Diocese.

When asked if the state could enforce a break in ties, Bishop Daniil replied that on Monday, the EOC MP's lawyers spoke with the head of the Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and noted that the ministry does not seem to be in a hurry.

As the UOJ previously reported, the Vicar of the Tallinn Diocese mentioned that the EOC MP is prepared for even greater autonomy at the statute level, but a complete break is not so simple.

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