In Estonia, Constantinople bishops call on 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 (EAOC) under the Ecumenical Patriarchate proposed that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (EOC-MP) form a vicariate within its organization. This was stated in a declaration published on the EAOC’s website.

The EAOC effectively endorsed the Estonian Parliament’s amendments to the Law on Religions and Parishes, which aim to ban the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

"The ideology of the 'Russian World' is provocative, expansionist, and un-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 has made it clear that it does not intend to shut down the religious life of parishes but demands a break in their ties with Moscow," said Metropolitan Stephanos of the EAOC under the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The EAOC hierarch proposed that the EOC-MP establish a vicariate within the Constantinople-led metropolitanate under his leadership, ensuring its canonical status after the ban.

"I told our Russian brothers that I have no plans to subordinate their church to us," said Metropolitan Stephanos. According to him, the bishops of the current Estonian diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate would commemorate his name in the liturgies instead of that of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and, when possible, would occasionally concelebrate services together.

The hierarch believes that this would allow Russian-speaking communities to follow their church traditions, as they did before World War II.

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

As previously reported by the UOJ, a court in Estonia dismissed appeals filed by the EOC-MP against the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament).

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