The court allows Estonian Church to change its name

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn. Photo: EOC's website

On March 24, 2025, the court granted the request of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (EOC MP) to change its name to "Estonian Christian Orthodox Church," reports err.

The Tartu County Court upheld the complaint filed by jurors Stephen-Christo Evestus and Arthur Kniazev on behalf of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

According to the court's ruling, the new name complies with the law and does not mislead regarding the purpose, scope, or legal form of the church's activities.

This decision was made despite the initial refusal of the registration authority, which considered the new name misleading, as the church does not unite all Orthodox Christians in Estonia.

The EOC-MP submitted an application to the registration department in September 2024 to amend the charter and name of the church, wishing to adopt the new name "Estonian Orthodox Church".

The registration department forwarded the application to a judge, who deemed the name proposed by the Church misleading, as it allegedly falsely encompassed all Orthodox believers in Estonia.

Subsequently, the EOC-MP chose the new name "Estonian Christian Orthodox Church", but the registration department also found this name misleading for the same reasons. The registration authority did not identify any other deficiencies in the church's application.

The court found the applicant's explanations appropriate and clear, stating that the new name accurately reflects the purpose and scope of the Church's activities – it is a Christian Orthodox Church operating in Estonia. In the court's opinion, under the conditions of freedom of religion, it cannot be concluded that any Church can encompass all believers.

"With the new name and charter, our church emphasizes its self-governing status. Over the past year, we have had to endure hostility due to our canonical ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, from which the name of our church originated. The new name and charter reflect our independence in church-administrative, economic, educational, and civil authority-related matters," said Bishop Daniel.

The court's ruling on this matter is final and has come into effect.

Earlier, the the UOJ reported that the bishop of the Estonian Church addressed the UN regarding violations of believers' rights.

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