In Estonia, Bishops of Constantinople Call on the EOC to Enter Their Jurisdiction

Tallinn. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Photo:orthodox.ee

On March 13, 2025, the Public Relations Department of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate proposed to the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to form a vicariate within its organization. This was stated in a statement on the EAPC website.

The EAPC actually supported the introduction by the Estonian Parliament of amendments to the Law on Religions and Parishes, which are aimed at banning the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Church.

"The ideology of the "Russian world" is provocative, expansionist and non-Christian. The root of the current problem was not created by Estonians or the Estonian state, but by the Moscow Patriarchate. The Moscow Patriarchate also preached and supported the extremely dangerous ethnophobic doctrine of the "Russian world" in relation to the Estonian Church. The state made it clear that it does not intend to curtail the religious life of parishes, but demands a break in communion with Moscow," said Metropolitan Stefan of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

The hierarch of the EAPC proposed that the Estonian Orthodox Church MP form a vicariate within the Metropolitanate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople that he heads, in order to ensure their canonical status after the ban.

"I told our Russian brothers that I have no plans to subordinate their church to us," Metropolitan Stefan said. According to him, the bishops of the current Estonian diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate will commemorate his name at liturgies instead of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and, if possible, sometimes concelebrate together.

The bishop believes that in this way Russian-speaking communities will have the opportunity to follow their church traditions, as they did before the Second World War.

The Metropolitan also stated that this is an opportunity “to find reconciliation together and prepare for a future in which, adhering to our church principles and foundations, all Orthodox Christians living in Estonia can coexist in peace and love.”

As the Union of Journalists of Estonia wrote, the Estonian court dismissed the complaints filed by the EOC MP against the Riigikogu.

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