Estonian Church thanks President for protecting Constitutional rights

Tallinn’s Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Photo: orthodox.ee

On April 24, 2025, the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC) issued an official statement expressing gratitude to the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, for his principled stance regarding the bill to amend the Law on Churches and Congregations. In its press release, the Church emphasized that the president’s decision not to sign the law passed by the Riigikogu was an important step in protecting constitutional freedoms.

Specifically, the Estonian Church thanked him for upholding the freedoms of religion and association. According to the head of state, the restrictions outlined in the document were disproportionate and contradicted the country’s Constitution.

“The EOCC has always advocated for constructive dialogue between religious organizations and the state, based on mutual respect, legality, and democratic principles. Believing in God, we also respect the law and justice, and recognize the right and opportunity to defend our constitutional rights – a defense for which we had to engage lawyers both locally and internationally,” the statement said.

The Church noted that the president’s decision strengthened its confidence that it is on the right path.

The EOCC also expressed hope that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would allow negotiations to continue on the basis of the aforementioned principles.
The Estonian Church is convinced that such a dialogue would enable society and Parliament to see the groundlessness of accusations claiming that the Church – which maintains canonical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church – poses a threat to national security. They underscored that such allegations are unfounded.

“Throughout its history in Estonia, our Church has demonstrated loyalty to the Estonian state and respect for its people, upholding democratic values, among which freedom of religion is one of the most fundamental,” the Church added.

In the statement, the Church also thanked the clergy and parishioners for their unwavering faith, patience, and trust, as well as all those who courageously spoke out in defense of the Church despite the ongoing information campaign against it.

“Moral support and prayers give us strength in defending the truth of the Church and our constitutional rights,” the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church concluded.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Estonian President Alar Karis refused to sign the amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations passed by Parliament, which directly affected the interests of the Estonian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The head of state declared the amendments unconstitutional.

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