Estonian MIA demands EOC to comment on Patriarch Kirill's statements

Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tarmo Miilits. Photo: s.err.ee

The Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs has asked the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) to provide an assessment of the statements made by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), Patriarch Kirill, on August 28, in which he referred to the capitals of the former Soviet republics as "important spiritual centers of the united Holy Rus." This was reported by Rus.Postimees, citing a letter from Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tarmo Miilits, dated September 10.

"Despite the emergence of political borders in the so-called post-Soviet space, for the Russian Orthodox Church, they do not exist, because we are the Church of All Rus, and for me, Kyiv, Minsk, and other capitals of the republics are important spiritual centers of the united Holy Rus," states the website patriarchia.ru.

According to Patriarch Kirill, the ROC is "the only institution today that connects Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries in the so-called post-Soviet space."

The Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs considered the speech by the head of the Russian Church to be "spreading extremism", which "poses a threat to internal security and defense capabilities".

"In the patriarch's speech, the capitals of the republics that were part of the former Soviet Union are called 'important spiritual centers of the united Holy Rus'. Tallinn, in our firm belief, is certainly not one of them!" declared the Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, asking the Estonian Orthodox Church to provide a "clear and unequivocal position and assessment of the patriarch's speech on August 28".

In response to a media inquiry, the Estonian Orthodox Church stated that they are preparing a response to the chancellor's request. "Once the official response is sent, this information will be made available to the public," the Estonian Orthodox Church told Rus.Postimees.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Speaker of the Estonian Parliament called the activities of the EOC-MP in the country a mistake.

Read also

Amsterdam: Ukraine is a risky investment due to religious repression

The lawyer addressed participants at a conference in Rome, pointing to the persecution of the UOC and systematic violations of believers’ rights in Ukraine.